19. Mastering Project Management: What Project Managers Must Know About Product Sustainability

Have you ever stopped to consider the true cost of a product—not just the dollars spent, but the environmental footprint left behind?

In this powerful episode of Project Management Masterclass, host Brittany pulls back the curtain on what sustainability really means in the world of project management. From the design phase to end-of-life disposal, 80% of a product’s impact is locked in before it hits the factory floor—and that means you, the project manager, play a bigger role than you think.

📌 You’ll learn:

• Why sustainability is no longer a buzzword—it’s a business imperative
• The three major environmental challenges your projects must help solve
• How companies are moving from compliance checklists to competitive advantage
• What every PM needs to ask to future-proof their projects
• How Brittany’s real-world experience as a Sustainability PMO reshaped her entire view of project success

Whether you're new to sustainability or leading ESG initiatives, this episode will challenge how you plan, build, and deliver value.

🛠️ Sustainability isn’t optional—it’s operational.

Transcript

Have you ever looked at a product and wondered what it really cost to make—not just in dollars, but in impact?

I’m not talking about the price tag. I’m talking about the materials, the waste, the carbon emissions, and the irreversible environmental effects—all determined by decisions made before the product ever touched a factory floor.

Welcome to the Project Management Masterclass. I’m your host Brittany, and today,  I am going to discuss with you  one of the most urgent topics shaping our profession: Sustainability—not as a buzzword, but as a business imperative.

 For todays show I  challenge how you think about project management from the perspective of key global trends—and how your work influences not just timelines and budgets, but the planet itself.

Segment 1: Reframing Sustainability

Did you know that HVAC (Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning) contributes to 15% of GHG emissions. I learned this key fact when I was given the opportunity to become sustainability PMO in 2022. Where my responsibility was Leading cross functional and cross business unit teams to achieve 2030 ESG goals and sustainability initiatives. Establishing and executing the plan to meet targets and track progress to report up to senior leadership. 

Prior to me stepping in this role 

I used to think sustainability was just about recycling. That’s how it was first introduced to me taking the simple actions to separate plastic from paper. So I did my part, believing I was helping the planet. But once I stepped deeper into this space, I realized how limited and honestly how naïve my thinking or view was. Sustainability is so much more than recycling. Its about system, impact, innovation, and accountability across the entire product lifecycle. 

As project managers, its critical that we understand the key trends shaping sustainability. Because how we plan, build, and deliver projects directly influences whether they're driving short term results or long term value. Know how to integrate sustainability isn't just a nice to have, its essential for future ready project success. 

 You if you listened to any of my shows, I really like to level set everyone on fundamentals and definition of the topics I discuss 

Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is sustainability?

In 1987, the United Nations defined it as:

“Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.”

For project professionals, this means balancing performance, cost, timeline—and now, impact.

 We’ve long managed the classic triangle: scope, schedule, and cost. Add quality, risk, and resources, and you’ve got the expanded set. But there’s a ninth dimension we can no longer ignore: Sustainability.

 And here’s why that matters:

80% of a product’s environmental footprint is locked in during the design phase.

That means your role, even if you’re not directly sketching blueprints, plays a crucial part in the downstream environmental outcome.

 Sustainability isn’t just a matter of compliance—it’s strategy. It’s innovation. It’s leadership.

Sustainability as a Market Trend

 But it’s more than just a moral call—it’s a market signal.

Sustainability is now a key global trend.

Consumers want cleaner products. Investors want ESG accountability. Regulators are rolling out carbon reporting mandates. And companies that don’t adapt? They’re at risk of being left behind.

McKinsey, Forrester, and Bloomberg are all publishing data that shows the same thing: businesses that invest in sustainable practices outperform their peers in resilience, customer loyalty, and long-term profitability.

As a project manager, you’re not just delivering outcomes—you’re guiding strategic alignment. That means asking tough questions like:

• “Are we sourcing sustainable materials?”
• “Are we designing for longevity and repair?”
• “Are we reducing waste, not just in our product, but in our process?”

Because this isn’t a trend that’s going away. This is the new standard of excellence.

 Segment 2: The 3 Big Problems We Must Solve

In regards to sustainability you may be wondering What exactly are we solving for?

Here are the three main environmental issues your projects might be contributing to—and can help fix:

1. Hazardous Materials

Substances like mercury, cadmium, and PFAS are still found in countless products. These are toxic, harmful to ecosystems, and under intense regulatory scrutiny.

Project managers need to ensure design and procurement teams are selecting safer alternatives and working within frameworks like REACH and RoHS.

One of the projects under my Sustainability umbrella was working with two of our chemical compliance experts in defining a single source of truth for all parts compliance data.  Key things I learned in this project was the importance of maintaining compliance with complex global regulations to maintain market access.. Access to compliance data is essential, have the data all in one place helped to shorten the response time for regulation changes. 

The second big problem we must solve is 

2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)

Emissions are categorized into:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from company-owned facilities.
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from energy purchased.
• Scope 3: All other emissions in the value chain—this is the big one.

Scope 3 includes raw material sourcing, supplier emissions, customer use, and end-of-life disposal. As a project leader, you can help by:

• Encouraging energy-efficient design
• Selecting low-carbon suppliers
• Reducing logistics emissions through smarter manufacturing locations

SEC proposed rule on climate related to disclosures including reporting climate related investments.  This is where I had to stretch beyond of my area of excellence. Up until joining the sustainability team I had work on tangible product focused outcomes geared towards manufacturing. . This was a product I delivered but of a different medium. I never really had to know SOX controls. For those of you may not know SOX controls internal mechanisms designed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting for publicly traded companies.  This is what makes project documentation so critical. I had to prepare our team to undergo an third party audit. 

3. Finite Resource Depletion

We live on a finite planet. Metals, minerals, and fossil fuels are not limitless. The way we consume and discard products today isn’t sustainable.

This is where circularity comes in—designing products that can be repaired, reused, remanufactured, or responsibly recycled.

As a PM, you can promote:

• Modular design approaches
• Business models based on product-as-a-service
• Strategic disassembly and end-of-life planning

Segment 3: From Compliance to Opportunity

Now here’s the real shift: companies that once treated sustainability as a checkbox are now realizing it’s a competitive advantage.

In a article General Mills CEO said something I thought was very profound he stated we don't eat cheerios for breakfast and think about sustainability in the afternoon. sustainability is not a separate initiative but an integral part of the company's core business strategy. 

Think about it:

• Less material = lower costs
• More durable products = stronger brand loyalty
• Modular design = better serviceability and upgrade options
• Remote updates = reduced field service costs
• Circular supply chains = resilience in volatile markets

McKinsey reports that manufacturers can profitably reduce 20–60% of emissions by 2030—many are already seeing 10–30% ROI within 18 months.

This isn’t idealism. This is good business.

And it all ties back to product and process decisions made during the project lifecycle—decisions you help shape.

So from where you sit today how integrated is sustainability in your companys business strategies? What are your current pain point if any? 

Final Thoughts: The PM’s Sustainability Mandate

You don’t need to become an environmental engineer overnight. You don’t need to overhaul your entire process.

You just need to start looking at your project decisions through a different lens.

So, ask yourself:

How can I make this project more efficient, less wasteful, and better prepared for the future?

Because sustainability is no longer someone else’s job. It’s ours.

And it’s not just about saving the planet. It’s about building smarter, leaner, more innovative companies.

If you want to be a project leader in the next decade, sustainability isn’t optional—it’s operational.

🔑 What is sustainability?

It’s not just recycling—it’s strategy, innovation, leadership. It’s about meeting the needs of today without compromising the future. It’s about aligning product decisions with planet-conscious thinking across the full project lifecycle.

🌍 The 3 problems we must solve

1. Hazardous Materials – Reducing the use of toxic substances and improving compliance.
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Tackling Scope 1, 2, and especially Scope 3 emissions across the value chain.
3. Finite Resource Depletion – Designing with circularity in mind: reuse, repair, recycle.

And remember:

Sustainability isn’t just good ethics—it’s good economics. It reduces waste, improves efficiency, and strengthens your brand.

If you want to be a project leader in the next decade, sustainability isn’t optional—it’s operational.

Thanks for joining me on this episode of the Project Management Masterclass.

Until then, remember:

Don’t just manage the work.

Manage the future.