At a recent round table meeting of the UN Global Compact Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals, key stakeholders from the business, environmental, and infrastructure sectors came together to discuss the intersection of ESG principles and nature conservation in Serbia. With current public discourse surrounding large-scale mining and environmental impact projects, the session addressed both policy needs and opportunities for responsible business engagement.
The event also served as a valuable platform for presenting the ESG4PMChange project, introduced by dr. Dušan Stojaković, member of the UN GC Serbia Managing Board and representative of ESG EDU LAB. His presentation emphasized how Sustainable Project Management (SPM) can become a practical driver for institutionalizing ESG practices across public and private sectors—particularly in countries where implementation remains fragmented or underdeveloped.
Cross-Sector Dialogue on Sustainability and Project Delivery
Structured as a round table discussion, the event featured contributions from prominent voices in environmental policy and sustainable business:
- Aleksandra Šiljić Tomić (UNEP) emphasized the role of regulatory frameworks in supporting nature conservation and the business sector’s responsibilities.
- Uroš Delić (WWF-Adria) presented the latest State of the Planet Report, showcasing how companies can become active contributors to biodiversity protection.
- Matija Petković (Arup) shared practical insights from infrastructure projects, underscoring the need for business-aligned ecological guidelines.
Together, these contributions painted a picture of the growing synergy between ESG principles and nature conservation, reinforcing the idea that project management methods—particularly those informed by sustainability—can serve as a strategic link.
The discussion revealed that businesses are not only willing, but increasingly expected, to take responsibility for environmental impact—making ESG-aligned project management a timely and necessary evolution.
Strategic Fit with ESG4PMChange Objectives
With 20 attendees from corporate and civil society organizations—highly educated professionals aged 25–45 from urban areas in Serbia—the event successfully engaged a core target group for the ESG4PMChange project. Their profile aligns perfectly with the project’s goals of building capacity, awareness, and practical ESG knowledge through project management frameworks.
Participants expressed clear interest in being involved in future educational activities and saw the project as a valuable opportunity to connect local ESG challenges with internationally driven solutions.
The ESG4PMChange initiative was presented through a concise five-slide deck, outlining:
- The purpose and structure of SPM
- Project objectives
- Long-term vision for ESG integration in organizations
This brief but focused exposure created momentum for follow-up actions and opened space for further collaboration with the UN GC network and affiliated organizations.
