Project Management in Pursuit of Net Zero Construction

Net Zero construction is a subset of green construction, and this is a special chapter because of most urgency to the world at the moment is achieving Net Zero by 2050, in order to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, such as the ferocious wildfires that destroy many lives, properties, and forests, as we saw in Chapter 1. As Oxford University Professor Bent Flyvbjerg and The New York Times bestselling author Dan Gardner stated in their recent award-winning book How Big Things Get Done, “no task is more urgent today than mitigating the climate crisis — not only for the common good but for your organization, yourself, and your family.” This chapter is critical to achieving the Net-Zero-by-2050 goal from the perspective of project management (PM) for the built environment. It is arguably the first of its kind. The uniqueness of the chapter is further boosted by being authored by the authority leading the global action toward “Advancing Net Zero” for the built environment. Collaboration and commitment are required from global construction bodies in order to achieve the decarbonization goals set out in the Paris Agreement. As such, the World Green Building Council has identified PM as a key facilitator in the pursuit of Net Zero and the broad adoption of sustainable building. This chapter explores the Net Zero initiative and its core components, how PM can impact Net Zero construction as a part of green construction, and strategies for aligning and enhancing the aforementioned efforts.