Building ESG Competencies in Project Management Education: ESG4PMChange Project

Revas is proud to be part of ESG4PMChange – The ESG Imperative for the Project Management World: Alliance for Developing and Empowering Changemakers, an international European project focused on integrating Environmental, Social and Governance principles into project management education, training and professional practice.

As ESG becomes an increasingly important part of business strategy, reporting, investment decisions and stakeholder expectations, future project managers need more than traditional knowledge of planning, budgeting, scheduling and delivery. They also need to understand how environmental impact, social responsibility, ethical governance and stakeholder engagement influence project decisions.

This is exactly the challenge ESG4PMChange addresses.

About the project

ESG4PMChange brings together universities, vocational education and training providers, professional project management organizations, innovation partners and SMEs from across Europe. The shared goal is to strengthen project management education by embedding ESG-related knowledge, skills and competencies into curricula, training programmes and professional development pathways.

The project focuses on:

identifying ESG competency gaps in project management education and the labour market,
developing professional profiles and a competency framework for ESG-oriented project managers,
creating and updating project management curricula with ESG components,
developing learning materials, training programmes and teaching resources,
creating digital learning resources, including MOOCs and open educational resources,
introducing micro-credentials to recognize ESG project management competencies,
testing and validating the developed educational approaches with learners, educators and industry stakeholders.

The aim is not to treat ESG as a separate topic, but to make it a natural part of how project management is taught and practiced.

Project partners

The ESG4PMChange consortium is coordinated by the University of Novi Sad and includes partners from several European countries, combining academic, educational, business and project management expertise.

Project partners include:

University of Novi Sad – Serbia, Project Coordinator
Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna – Italy
University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów – Poland
University of Thessaly – Greece
University of Split – Croatia
PM² Alliance – Belgium
Future Food Institute – Italy
Syntea S.A. – Poland
European Academy – Latvia
Revas – Business Simulation Games – Poland
Energy Net – Serbia
ESG EDU-LAB – Serbia
Sparky Solution – Serbia
Advise Institute – Croatia

Together, the partners are working to connect education, business practice and project management standards with the growing need for ESG-related skills.

Why ESG should be part of project management education

Project managers increasingly influence decisions that go far beyond time, budget and scope. Their work affects resources, suppliers, teams, stakeholders, communities, data, governance and long-term organizational value.

That is why ESG should not be treated only as a topic for sustainability specialists or reporting departments. It should become part of the professional preparation of project managers.

In practice, this means that project management education should help learners understand how to:

identify environmental, social and governance aspects of projects,
include ESG considerations in planning and decision-making,
assess project impact on stakeholders and communities,
connect project goals with sustainability objectives,
manage ESG-related risks,
use data and indicators to monitor responsible project outcomes,
understand governance, accountability and transparency in project work.

By adding ESG components to project management programmes, educational institutions can better prepare students and professionals for the realities of modern organizations.

From traditional project management to responsible project management

Traditional project management education often focuses on methods, tools and delivery efficiency. These remain essential. However, today’s project managers also need to understand the wider consequences of project decisions.

A project can be delivered on time and within budget, but still fail to create responsible value if it ignores environmental impact, stakeholder concerns, social consequences or governance risks.

ESG4PMChange responds to this shift by supporting the development of curricula, competency frameworks and learning resources that help future project managers combine delivery skills with sustainability awareness.

The project reflects a broader change in the profession: project managers are becoming key actors in implementing responsible business strategies.

Building a new generation of ESG-aware project managers

The future of project management is not only about efficient execution. It is also about responsible decision-making, stakeholder trust and long-term value creation.

By participating in ESG4PMChange, Revas contributes to a European initiative that aims to support students, educators and professionals in developing ESG-related project management competencies.

Through cooperation between international partners, the project will help create educational tools, learning resources and competency-based approaches that make ESG a natural part of project management education and professional practice across Europe.

Because future project managers will not only be expected to deliver projects.

They will be expected to deliver projects responsibly.

Learn more

Find out more about the ESG4PMChange Project on the official project website:
https://esg4pmchange.com/

ESG4PMChange Newsletter:

https://esg4pmchange.com/the-esg-imperative-for-the-project-management-world-esg4pmchange-newsletter/

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.