As part of the ESG4PMChange project, a dedicated focus group session brought together experts from academia, industry, and policy to explore how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles can be meaningfully embedded in project management education and practice.
Organized by the University of Bologna, the session aimed to collect diverse insights on current skill gaps, learning needs, and certification challenges related to ESG-integrated project management (ESG PM) and Sustainable Project Management (SPM). Participants discussed how project managers can become key drivers of sustainability and how training systems must evolve to support that role.
Building Competence for a Changing Project Landscape
The focus group was structured around four interactive sessions, addressing key questions such as:
- How is ESG understood and applied across different sectors?
- Which skills are essential for an effective ESG PM?
- What are the barriers to widespread ESG adoption?
- How should competencies be validated and certified?
Conversations emphasized the importance of soft skills, such as collaboration, change management, and empathy — alongside technical expertise and regulatory knowledge. Participants agreed that multidisciplinary teams and early ESG integration are critical to project success.
The focus group gathered a diverse mix of participants, ensuring rich perspectives from:
- Academic institutions, including professors, PhD students, and researchers in project management, law, and sustainability
- Industry professionals, such as ESG consultants, business development directors, and project managers from energy and tech sectors
- Policy and governance experts, familiar with EU programs and regulatory frameworks
ESG specialists, working on certifications, impact assessments, and reporting systems
This broad engagement enabled a holistic conversation about real-world needs and practical pathways toward improving ESG competency development.
Key Takeaways: Competencies and Challenges
Through structured discussion, the group identified core ESG PM competencies:
- A sustainability mindset and commitment to long-term impact
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Knowledge of impact assessment tools and ESG reporting
- Familiarity with environmental regulations and risk management
- Technical project management skills, with ESG integration at their core
Challenges raised included the lack of standardized certifications, sectoral differences in ESG maturity, and the absence of unified evaluation frameworks. Despite these hurdles, there was shared motivation to co-create innovative, actionable solutions.
Setting the Stage for What’s Next
This focus group created a valuable platform to inform future training models, support certification design, and strengthen ties between higher education, VETs, and industry. It reaffirmed that developing ESG-aware project managers is not just desirable — it is essential for navigating the evolving landscape of EU projects and global sustainability priorities.
