Sustainability teams need more than climate expertise. They also need project management.

Sustainability teams today are full of talented scientists, policy experts, and engineers who define the ambition for the corporate climate journey.

But targets alone are not enough. To translate ambition into action, companies also need to structure, track, and deliver complex initiatives.

Corporate sustainability strategies rarely fail on ambition or lack thereof. They fail on execution. That’s why sustainability needs skilled project managers. Other spaces have already learned this lesson:

• Technology rollouts: ERP and CRM programs succeed because of effective governance and sequencing.

• M&A integrations: Integration offices align dozens of workstreams under one timeline and budget.

• Digital transformations: Agile practices keep delivery iterative, instead of being stuck in endless planning loops.

Sustainability initiatives deserve the same rigor. Decarbonization cuts across all business lines, including procurement, operations, and finance.

Sustainability teams should borrow best practices from other industries:

• Naming and branding the initiative: A unifying identity (e.g., “Project Net Zero” or “Green Inc.”) makes progress visible and the initiative tangible.

• Clear ownership and role-mapping: Everyone knows who is accountable, consulted, and informed.

• Stage gates and milestones: Progress measured in increments, not just the 2030 finish line.

• Workstreams with clear boundaries: Create focused tracks (e.g., Finance, Employee Experience, Sales & Marketing, Reporting, etc.)

• Internal communications: Continuous updates keep employees engaged, informed, and aligned.

To be clear: adopting these structures does not mean sustainability is separate from the business. In fact, it’s the opposite. Other deeply embedded corporate functions like tech, finance, and operations, already rely on program management disciplines. And just like those functions, sustainability initiatives should be a constant.

Takeaway: Climate specialists define the vision. Project managers help make it happen.