Ideas on net zero and sustainability to help beat the gloom

The global mission to get to net zero may be under more strain than before, so how about some inspiration on how to effect change when it comes to sustainability?

Below are some insights taken from APM’s Project Summit in autumn 2024 – where senior project experts, leaders and C-suite executives shared ideas on the biggest challenges facing the profession – and recommendations from APM’s Projecting for the Future: Harmonising energy and environment report.

As Nick Smallwood, CEO of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, put it: “Climate change is a real issue. If project managers don’t drive the focus on this, we’re not going to improve. There is no plan B.”

The challenges of net zero

The scale of the net-zero challenge for the project profession is massive, both nationally and internationally, and international competition for the best project managers and programme directors could reduce the supply of key skills in the UK even further.

Against this landscape of urgent and massive transformation, the present response of the project profession is, arguably, disappointing. Most of the attention has been on mitigation; that is, the reduction of the carbon and other environmental impacts of projects that would happen anyway.

Relatively little attention is paid to the various kinds of projects that are being carried out because of our aspirations for a net-zero future. Such projects can be considered ‘vectors of change’ towards a net-zero future, but the scale of the transition required means that it is unlikely to be achieved by traditional approaches to project, programme and portfolio management for the following three reasons:

Most transition projects are interventions in existing ‘systems of systems’ of great complexity. For example, the electrical system requires reconfiguration as a result of new sources of generation (wind and solar) and new demands (such as from heat pumps and electric vehicle charging), as well as a major upgrade of capacity.
The experience from the development of offshore wind generation in the North Sea is that strong and capable project owners shifting from a project-by-project development approach is vital for attracting investors who typically equate projects with risk. Thus Ørsted, the largest offshore wind farm developer outside China, stated that it was ‘industrialising’ the development process:

The first offshore wind farms were established project by project, but, since the start of 2009, Ørsted has been working intensively to develop and install offshore wind farms in an assembly line concept and to enhance efficiency in all stages of the offshore wind farm value chain.
Ørsted’s strategy for cost reductions is based on standardisation: Ørsted developing an offshore wind farm concept is based on a standardised design, standard components and standard construction. The concept reduced the price of offshore wind considerably. For an industry characterised by high investment levels, especially in the construction phase, the biggest potential for savings is in reducing construction costs and in centralising the design and procurement process.

Central to this development is much greater modularity in turbine technology, which has wider benefits. There are similar aspirations in the nuclear sector to industrialise development and move on from the notably dismal record in delivering new nuclear power stations – the clue is in the name: ‘small modular reactor’.

Six ideas to make projects and programmes more sustainable

Do not accept the status quo. Look at how you can enable smarter ways of working.
While it may not be feasible to train all existing staff on data use and literacy, project leaders must start to set up ways of working that will enable more digitally literate future generations to utilise data properly.
Drive improvements in the supply chain. Reduce waste through use of recycled materials, or reuse where possible. Implement sustainable procurement policies. Work with clients to ensure they play their part in environmental due diligence and improving transportation/logistics.
Consider ‘productivity packaging’ procurement models that can unlock greater capacity at a time of peak demand.
Where appropriate, utilise design and build approaches that support efficiency and/or economies of scale, such as ‘design one, build many’.
On infrastructure projects, shift the focus away from simply ‘building things’ to creating social value. Engage with communities to understand what they want, alongside the basic ‘what’s needed’ requirements.

APM’s Projecting for the Future: Harmonising energy and environment report and the autumn 2024 Project Summit papers can be downloaded here