As organisations across Africa and the rest of the world seek to translate sustainability ambitions into business outcomes, new research from Project Management Institute (PMI) and Green Project Management, reveals a critical challenge – many are struggling to deliver measurable sustainability outcomes.
The findings, according to a statement, come at a time when the world is running out of time to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025, only 35% of SDG targets are currently on track or making moderate progress, while nearly half are advancing too slowly, and 18% have regressed. Against this backdrop, PMI’s latest research highlights execution as challenge that receives far less attention than policy or funding debates.
The report, Executing Sustainability Strategy: When Ambition Meets Reality, surveyed nearly 1,600 professionals across 35 countries and found a significant disconnect between strategic confidence and execution readiness.
While 85% of sustainability executives believe their organisations will achieve their sustainability goals, only 43% of Project Management Office (PMO) leaders share that confidence. Among project professionals responsible for implementation, just 20% are extremely confident in their organisation’s ability to deliver.
