PMI New Zealand Chapter
Sustainability Special Interest Group
Sustainable Project Management in Aotearoa New Zealand
Practical resources for PMINZ members who want to build sustainability into the way projects are planned, governed, delivered and closed.
New to Sustainable Project Management?
Start with a plain-English introduction to sustainable project management and the P5 model.
Working on a Live Project?
Use the P5 Impact Analysis, Sustainability Management Plan and practical guides to apply sustainability thinking to your current project.
Preparing an Award Entry?
See what strong sustainability evidence can look like for PMINZ Awards entries.
About the Sustainability SIG
The PMINZ Sustainability Special Interest Group brings together project professionals, industry leaders and sustainability advocates from across Aotearoa New Zealand to collaborate, learn and advance sustainable project management.
Through events, workshops, knowledge sharing and practical resources, we explore emerging thinking, global best practice and real-world approaches that help embed sustainability into every stage of project delivery.
Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your practice, this hub has been designed to help you put sustainability into action.
Getting Started
Sustainable project management is about how we manage projects, not only what the project produces. It means building sustainability into decisions, governance, delivery, suppliers, stakeholders, reporting and lessons learned.
P5 in Plain English
P5 is a simple way to look at project impacts. It helps project professionals consider five areas on any project, whatever the sector or scale:
- People
- Planet
- Prosperity
- Process
- Product
A Good First Step
Pick one live project and run a short P5 impact discussion. Use the P5 Impact Analysis to record the key positives, risks and actions. That is all you need to get started.
Download the P5 Impact Analysis
Standards & Guides
These are useful reference materials for sustainable project management. Each resource can support project professionals to better understand, apply and evidence sustainability in project delivery.
P5 Standard
The main reference for sustainability impacts across all five P5 dimensions.
GPM Practice Guide
A practical guide for embedding sustainability into how projects are planned and delivered.
Reporting Guide
A useful guide for understanding and communicating sustainability performance and outcomes.
GPM Sustainability Competence Standard
A reference for understanding the skills and behaviours expected of sustainable project managers.
Download the Competence Standard
Tools & Templates
These practical resources can be downloaded and used on live projects.
P5 Impact Analysis
Use this spreadsheet in a project workshop to identify impacts, actions and priorities.
Download the P5 Impact Analysis
Sustainability Management Plan
Use this template to document roles, actions, KPIs, reporting and governance for sustainability outcomes.
Download the Sustainability Management Plan Template
Applying Sustainability Throughout the Project Lifecycle
| Project stage | What members should do | Useful resource |
|---|---|---|
| Business case / idea | Ask what value the project should create for people, planet and the organisation. |
P5 Standard Practice Guide |
| Starting the project | Run a short P5 impact discussion with key people. | P5 Impact Analysis |
| Planning | Turn the main actions into the project plan, risks, budget, governance and reporting. | Sustainability Management Plan Template |
| Delivery | Track the agreed actions and measures. Report what is working and what needs to change. |
P5 Impact Analysis KPIs and project reports |
| Closure | Record the results, lessons and what future projects can reuse. | Lessons learned and case study template |
Sustainability in Project Management Award
The Sustainability in Project Management Award recognises projects that have built sustainability into how the project was managed. It is not only about the final product.
Four Areas of Evidence
- Value & Outcomes: How the project created meaningful sustainability value.
- Execution & Innovation: How sustainability was embedded into delivery practices.
- Stakeholder & Team: How people were engaged, supported and involved.
- Impact & Legacy: What changed, what was measured and what can be carried forward.
Evidence Checklist
Strong award entries should show real evidence across these areas. Useful evidence may include:
- P5 Impact Analysis completed and used during delivery
- Sustainability Management Plan in place with KPIs
- Governance records showing sustainability decisions
- Stakeholder engagement on sustainability outcomes
- Baseline and final results where available
Additional resources, including the Sustainability Evidence Checklist and Award Nomination Pack, will be added here soon.
Articles & Insights
Explore practical articles from the Sustainability SIG covering sustainable project management, procurement, governance, stakeholder engagement and emerging practices. New articles will be added as they are published.
- What Climate Governance Means for Project Managers
- Why is the Circular Economy Good for Growing Business?
- A Project Manager’s Guide to Climate Governance for both Digital and Infrastructure Projects
- Climate Governance across the Project Lifecycle
- AI Driven Data Centre Growth in New Zealand: What Project Managers Need to Know
- Sustainable Procurement & Vendor Management: The Project Manager’s Hidden Superpower
Case Studies
Case studies will be added as real examples become available, showcasing how sustainability has been embedded into projects across different sectors. Each case study will highlight the approach taken, the evidence collected, the outcomes achieved and practical lessons other project professionals can apply to their own work.
Have a sustainability project or case study you'd like to share? Submit a case study here.
Contact the Sustainability SIG
Have a question, resource or case study to share?