What Project Managers Can Do to Champion Sustainability

Buildings account for 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP, 2024). Yet, for many projects, sustainability is treated as a box to tick rather than a principle to embed, ending abruptly once a Gold or Platinum LEED plaque is hung on the wall.

Certifications like LEED provide a framework for making buildings more energy efficient and are useful for defining boundaries, but they are not sufficient if they serve as the finish line rather than the starting point.

True sustainability is a mindset that should guide every decision from planning and design through construction and operation. Project managers, more than anyone, are in a position to make that shift happen.

Why Sustainability Gets Boxed In

Most construction projects treat sustainability as an external add-on. Walk into most project kickoff meetings, and you’ll notice a pattern. Sustainability consultants arrive after architects have finalised floor plates, after structural engineers have specified concrete grades, after procurement has locked in supplier agreements. By then, the most impactful decisions have already been made.

This late-stage involvement predictably results in sustainability not being

Owners view sustainable materials as unproven risks rather than viable alternatives. When budgets tighten (as they tend to do), green features become the first line items cut.

The result: short-term targets get met, but long-term environmental performance is lost.
It is estimated that embodied carbon accounted for 28% of global emissions (World Green Building Council, 2024), and embodied carbon can represent up to 50% of a building’s lifetime emissions (McKinsey, 2023).

Project managers bridge every phase of development. Our choices influence not just design and procurement, but how sustainability is planned, tracked, and enforced.

Here are three simple and cost-effective ways PMs can drive meaningful change.

1. Embed Sustainability Early

Sustainability must appear in the first project brief and in every consultant contract, and not as optional scope to be negotiated later. This also means bringing sustainability consultants on board during concept design, when fundamental decisions about site orientation, passive design strategies, and material palettes can still be shaped.

At this stage, the possibilities are wide open. We can design buildings that respond intelligently to their context. For example, if we design an open air lobby, analysing wind patterns to optimise natural ventilation, positioning windows to maximise daylight while minimising heat gain, and selecting energy systems that align with local climate conditions will ensure we .

These early decisions create compounding benefits throughout the project lifecycle. A well-oriented building reduces mechanical loads. Lower loads mean smaller systems. Smaller systems mean less embodied carbon in equipment and lower operational costs for decades to come.

2. Focus on Reducing Embodied Carbon

Reducing operational energy use is no longer enough. Embodied carbon, the emissions from materials, transport, and construction, can’t be undone once the building is complete.
Simple material substitutions, such as low-carbon concrete or recycled steel, can achieve 10-20% reductions in embodied carbon at comparable or even lower costs (Circular Ecology, 2023).
Using BIM and digital tools to model these impacts early makes the data more transparent and easier to make sustainable choices with confidence.

For the Sofitel mixed-use development in Moroni, Comoros, Ascentis achieved a 30% reduction in embodied carbon emissions through strategic material optimisation. The project replaced Ordinary Portland Cement with Portland Slag Cement (45% GGBS content) and replaced 30% by weight of steel with recycled steel, reducing embodied carbon from 687 kg CO₂e/m² to 483.6 kg CO₂e/m².

3. Lead by Example on Site

Sustainability must be lived out in construction practices, not just design drawings. To ensure sustainable practices extend beyond drawings into daily site operations, strategies such as implementing zero-plastic policies, segregating waste streams, conserving topsoil, and monitoring indoor air quality throughout construction can make a significant impact on sustainability.

Ascentis’ Role and Roadmap

At Ascentis, sustainability isn’t an isolated service. It’s built into how every project is managed.
We work with consultants and owners from the advisory stage to ensure environmental performance is embedded in design, procurement, and construction.
Our teams:

• Research and validate new building materials so clients can adopt low-carbon solutions with confidence.
• Train project managers to lead sustainability conversations from day one.
• Track waste, material sourcing, and carbon impact as part of project monitoring systems.

This approach ensures that sustainability is measurable, practical and not dependent on certification alone.

Challenges and Mindset Shifts

Integrating sustainability is not without challenges. New materials may lack long-term data. Budgets can be rigid. Suppliers may resist transparency, but project managers can bridge these gaps by asking better questions, validating data, and balancing performance with practicality.

Leadership in sustainability often means saying, “Let’s prove this works,” instead of, “Let’s wait until it’s standard.”

Building Beyond Certification

Sustainability in construction can’t stop at compliance. It must be driven by conviction.
When project managers embed sustainable thinking across planning, design, and operations, they help create buildings that perform better, cost less to operate, and leave a lighter footprint.

At Ascentis, Building Meaningful Progress is the mindset we bring to every project. This means building responsibly and setting a higher standard for what “sustainable” should really mean.