8 ways PPM can help your construction company tackle climate change
Construction could have a significant impact on slowing global warming. The built environment accounts for 38% of world carbon emissions, and companies are under tremendous pressure to explore sustainable construction practices. But where to start?
Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) software might seem like an obscure first port of call. Still, it can become a critical tool for reducing your company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lowering your climate footprint.
Want to know more? Here are eight ways PPM software can help your organisation tackle climate change:
1. Aligning climate change goals with your overall business strategy
Sustainability and profit aren’t independent goals; one can drive the other. PPM software allows you to combine your sustainability strategy and business development targets to align your strategic objectives.
The best PPM software on the market will identify which of your plans and programmes support sustainable construction.
For example, PM3 PPM by BestOutcome – a company recently acquired by Elecosoft – enables system administrators to set climate change priorities and other strategic drivers and map how each project measures against them.
2. Helping you resource climate-related projects
In addition to prioritising high-impact environmental projects, PPM software can help you allocate resources to sustainable construction programmes.
For example, PM3 helps building companies to ensure the right resources are available for each project, highlighting areas where staff and contractors could be under-utilised.
3. Driving initiatives that reduce your carbon footprint
Digital project and portfolio management software is ideally placed to command construction programmes that reduce carbon emissions.
Your company can use it to pioneer sustainability projects such as adopting energy-saving technologies, deploying sustainable practices and reducing the climate footprint of your transport and logistics operations.
4. Implementing renewable energy programmes
Alongside lowering your existing climate footprint, PPM software can support green initiatives within your building company – such as implementing renewable energy sources.
Switching to solar, wind or hydroelectric power can reduce greenhouse gas emissions considerably. For example, producing 100kWh of energy through solar panels saves more than 635kg of carbon dioxide compared to producing the same volume of fossil fuel electricity.
5. Engaging stakeholders in climate change projects
Tackling a global challenge like climate change is no small feat. Even at a company level, you need the cooperation of multiple stakeholders to drive eco-friendly initiatives.
PPM software can help you understand the collective effort required to combat climate change and unite key players in your sustainability journey. Just ensure you look for technology with a dedicated stakeholder management model, like PM3.
6. Tracking sustainability KPIs
To be fully accountable to your stakeholders, it’s critical to set, track and measure sustainable construction metrics or KPIs.
Continuous monitoring will help you measure which programmes meet environmental targets and prove your success to colleagues, customers, and investors.
A PPM system with robust tracking and capabilities (such as PM3) will also allow you to adjust your sustainability strategy in real-time to drive ongoing improvement.
7. Introducing staff training and education programmes
Many construction companies have PPM software, but they don’t all use it to tackle climate change. Often, that’s simply because staff haven’t been trained in using PPM technology to full effect.
Investing in educational awareness and training for all your users will help you prioritise sustainability efforts in construction and create a culture in which eco-friendly projects are at the forefront of people’s minds.
8. Calculating your environmental impact
We’ve already mentioned the importance of setting and tracking sustainability KPIs – but did you know that the best PPM software for construction companies can also carry out climate impact evaluations?
For example, PM3 has built-in impact assessments that your system administrator can configure. Adding environmental impact assessments will allow you to generate an RAG rating for every construction project to quantify how eco-friendly your company has become.
Using PPM software to adopt a greener mindset
Projects and portfolio management software can play a crucial role in making construction more sustainable, but it needs to be implemented correctly – as part of a greener mindset.
A good roll-out strategy must accompany company-wide training, transparent reporting and strong stakeholder engagement to drive sustainable building programmes.
With the Paris Agreement stating that greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 to limit global warming to 1.5°C, construction companies have to act quickly to reduce the sector’s climate footprint. Investing in PPM software is a logical next step.