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GPM Certification · Reinstate & Upgrade
Welcome Back to the Movement!You were ahead of the curve. Now the world has caught up, and it needs practitioners like you.
When you earned your Certified Green Project Manager – Basic (GPM-b), sustainability in project management was still treated as a niche, a reporting obligation, a specialty concern, something that lived in someone else’s department. You saw it differently. You learned to assess and manage environmental, social, and economic impact across the full project lifecycle. You were early.
Certifications lapse. Movements don’t. If your GPM-b has expired, your seat in the GPM family is still here, and getting back is straightforward. Take the refresher course, sit a short exam, and upgrade to the Certified Sustainable Project Professional (CSPP™), the certification that succeeds the GPM-b and is jointly administered with the Project Management Institute.
What was once a forward-looking choice is now a baseline expectation. Sustainability has moved from the margins of strategy to the center of how organizations compete, manage risk, and create long-term value, and the data leaves little room for doubt.
That last number is the opportunity. Belief is running well ahead of capability, and the shortfall is most acute exactly where the work gets done. In PMI’s 2026 research, confidence that the organization can hit its sustainability goals falls from 85% among executives to 43% among PMO leaders and just 20% among project professionals.
In other words: organizations have the ambition. What they lack is people who can translate it into delivery, into project decisions, controls, measures, and outcomes. That is precisely the competence your GPM-b was built on, and precisely what the CSPP now formalizes. The skills you developed early are the ones the market is short of today.
The organizations that win treat sustainability not as a goal to announce, but as a decision system to build, and that depends on practitioners who can carry strategy all the way through to delivery.
Reinstating and upgrading is designed to be quick for someone who has already done the work. Three steps:
📎 Providing Evidence Is Easy
When you’re asked to verify your prior certification, there’s no need to dig through old files. Just open your entry in the PMI registry, print it out, and upload it. Done.
You didn’t wait for sustainability to become a priority, you treated it as one before the rest of the world did. Reclaim your place, upgrade to the CSPP, and keep being the change you wish to see in the world, because there is still no Planet B.
The CSPP™ is jointly administered by the Project Management Institute and GPM.
Questions? Email
Is this for you
Project sponsors, regulators, investors and customers now ask what a project does to people, the planet and long-term prosperity, and they expect the answer in the plan, the decisions and the reports. The CSPP is for the people who have to produce that answer: project and program managers, PMO and portfolio leads, and the practitioners on their teams. It gives you the P5 Standard as a working lens, PRiSM as a delivery method, and the Sustainability Management Plan as the document that ties intent to results.
It is a PMI-GPM certification. The Project Management Institute issues it and runs the exam; GPM wrote the standards it is built on and builds the course content. The badge carries both names, and the certification sits in your PMI account beside a PMP or CAPM.
Certified practitioners
You hold a PMP, CAPM, PgMP, PfMP or another recognized project management certification
Twelve hours of preparation and a 100-question exam add sustainability to what you already know. The course hours count as PDUs toward the certification you hold.
New to the profession
You are starting out or changing careers
The full bundle teaches project management essentials and sustainability together: 20 hours of preparation and a 145-question exam, with a secondary diploma as the only entry requirement.
PMO and portfolio leads
You set the method and the gates
The CSPP gives you and your teams one vocabulary for impact, thresholds and reporting, so sustainability stops being a separate workstream.
GPM-b holders
You earned the original
Your certification carries forward to the CSPP at no cost. The steps are below.
Why now
PMI and GPM's 2026 research, Executing Sustainability Strategy, surveyed sustainability executives, PMO leaders and project professionals and found that the problem is execution. Organizations have the strategies; they lack the people who can carry them through projects.
42 pt
confidence gap: 85 percent of sustainability executives are confident their strategy will land, 43 percent of PMO leaders agree
59%
of organizations say sustainability positions them for long-term success but have not embedded it in projects
1 in 5
project professionals feel extremely confident delivering sustainability outcomes today
2x
projects that integrate sustainability are nearly twice as likely to meet their goals
Those numbers are the case for the CSPP in one line: the profession needs a shared, examinable standard for how sustainability enters a project, and the CSPP is the certification that tests it. Read about the research on the PMI-GPM page.
What the exam covers
The exam content outline is built on the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, the Practice Guide and PRiSM. The practitioner exam covers five domains; the full bundle adds a sixth on project management considerations and shifts the weights toward method.
| Domain | Practitioners (100 questions) | Full bundle (145 questions) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of sustainable project work | 18% | 12% |
| PRiSM, Projects integrating Sustainable Methods, life cycle approach | 18% | 23% |
| The P5 Standard: sustainability and impact analysis | 36% | 24% |
| Developing a Sustainability Management Plan | 18% | 12% |
| ESG and sustainability reporting, governance and project communications | 11% | 7% |
| Project management considerations | Not examined | 23% |
In practice that means you learn to run a P5 Impact Analysis across the standard's 52 elements in People, Planet and Prosperity, to score impact and read thresholds as decision triggers, to build a Sustainability Management Plan that survives an audit, and to connect project reporting to GRI, ISSB and the SDGs. Download the exam content outline (PDF, PMI). The standards themselves are free: the P5 Standard, the Practice Guide and the Reporting Guide.
Two ways in
Bundle for Practitioners
12-hour course plus a 100-question exam
For holders of an active CAPM, PMP, PgMP or PfMP, an active certification from another recognized project management body, or a master's degree with a concentration in project or program management. 120 minutes, five domains. Explore on PMI.
CSPP Bundle
20-hour course plus a 145-question exam
For anyone with a secondary diploma (high school, GED or the equivalent). 175 minutes with a ten-minute break, six domains including project management considerations. Explore on PMI.
Prefer a classroom?
GPM and PMI Authorized Training Partners
Instructor-led preparation in your region and language, delivered by partners who teach GPM's material. Find one near you.
The exam
| Practitioners | Full bundle | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 100 (85 scored, 15 pretest) | 145 (130 scored, 15 pretest) |
| Time | 120 minutes | 175 minutes, one ten-minute break |
| Domains | 1 to 5 | 1 to 6 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centre, or online with remote proctoring | Pearson VUE test centre, or online with remote proctoring |
| Language | English | English |
| Attempts | Up to three within a one-year eligibility period | Up to three within a one-year eligibility period |
Questions are scenario-based. They ask what a project manager should do with a P5 score, a threshold breach, a sponsor's request or a reporting deadline, so the preparation course is spent applying the standard rather than memorizing it.
Keeping it active
Like every PMI certification, the CSPP is renewed every three years by reporting 30 PDUs. You claim and track them in your PMI account, alongside any other PMI certification you hold, and PDUs earned through GPM events, courses and publications count. The 12 hours of the practitioner preparation course also count as PDUs toward a PMP, PgMP, PfMP or CAPM you already hold, so the bundle pays back part of its time on day one.
GPM's own certifications, the CSF, CSP, CSPMs and CSPMx, are valid for five years and are renewed with GPM. See the certification overview.
Holding a GPM-b
The Green Project Manager, Basic (GPM-b) was the first sustainability certification for project professionals when GPM launched it in 2013. On 5 June 2026 it became the CSPP. Nobody starts over; the path depends on your status.
Active GPM-b: complete the registry-merge form
A short form so GPM can match your record. Start the registry-merge form.
GPM sends your record to PMI
GPM sends batch updates to PMI every week, and your GPM-b is added to your PMI profile.
Accept the no-cost opt-in at PMI
Once the GPM-b appears on your profile, click the opt-in to receive the CSPP. No exam, no additional training.
Expired GPM-b: email the certification board
Keep your certificate on hand and
Where GPM fits
GPM is the sustainability organization advancing regenerative practices worldwide, and the creator of the P5 Standard, PRiSM and the CSPP certification. Since April 2025 it writes the standards and builds the courses for the PMI-GPM joint venture, which now publishes the P5 Standard, the Practice Guide, the Sponsorship and Reporting Guides and the Competence Standard as PMI-GPM publications. PMI issues the CSPP; GPM administers the rest of the certification line.
Next step
CSPMs, Certified Sustainable Project Manager, Specialist
Competence-based: evidence from your own projects, assessed against the Sustainability Competence Standard. The natural step after the CSPP.
Senior practitioners
CSPMx, Certified Sustainable Project Manager, Expert
For leaders of highly complex, sustainability-driven programs and portfolios.
Beyond projects
CSF and CSP for sustainability professionals
GPM's certifications for sustainability work in any business function, in procurement, operations, HR, finance and the sustainability office.
Community
GPM Ambassadors
The practitioner network: events, the P5 Impact Analysis tool, guides and a directory of certified professionals worldwide.
Questions
What is the CSPP?
The Certified Sustainable Project Professional (CSPP) is the PMI-GPM certification for project professionals who deliver sustainability through their projects. It is exam-based, built on the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management and the Practice Guide, issued by the Project Management Institute, and renewed on PMI's three-year cycle. It began life in 2013 as GPM's GPM-b, the first sustainability certification for project professionals, and became the CSPP on 5 June 2026.
Who issues the CSPP?
PMI issues and administers it as a PMI-GPM certification. GPM wrote the P5 Standard and the Practice Guide the exam is built on and develops the exam preparation course content. You apply, sit the exam, hold the certification and report PDUs in your PMI account.
Do I need a PMI certification to apply?
No. There are two paths. The Bundle for Practitioners is for people who hold an active CAPM, PMP, PgMP or PfMP, an active certification from another recognized project management body, or a master's degree with a concentration in project or program management; it pairs a 12-hour course with a 100-question exam. The CSPP Bundle needs only a secondary diploma and pairs a 20-hour course with a 145-question exam that adds a project management domain.
How long is the exam and where do I take it?
Practitioners sit 100 questions in 120 minutes; the full bundle exam is 145 questions in 175 minutes with a ten-minute break. Both are delivered at a Pearson VUE test centre or online with remote proctoring, in English. You have up to three attempts within a one-year eligibility period.
What does it cost?
PMI publishes current pricing, including member pricing, on the two bundle pages. Each bundle includes the exam preparation course and the exam. GPM does not sell the CSPP.
How do I keep it active?
Like every PMI certification, the CSPP is renewed every three years by reporting 30 PDUs in your PMI account. The 12 hours of the practitioner course also count as PDUs toward a PMP or other PMI certification you already hold.
I hold a GPM-b. What happens to it?
It carries forward. If your GPM-b is active, complete the short registry-merge form, GPM sends the record to PMI in its weekly batch, and once it appears on your PMI profile you accept a no-cost opt-in to receive the CSPP, with no exam and no extra training. If your GPM-b has expired, email
Is the CSPP a project management certification?
Yes. It is for people who run projects and programs, whatever their industry, and it assumes project management knowledge or teaches the essentials in the full bundle. Sustainability professionals who do not manage projects should look at GPM's CSF and CSP certifications, which assess sustainability competence in any business function.
How does the CSPP relate to GPM's CSPMs and CSPMx?
All three sit on the same competence line. The CSPP proves knowledge of the standard by exam. The CSPMs and CSPMx are PMI-GPM certifications administered by GPM that assess evidence from your own projects against the Sustainability Competence Standard through a portfolio and an assessor interview. Many people hold the CSPP first and move to the CSPMs once they have delivered sustainability-driven projects.
Page updated 5 September 2026. Exam details from PMI's 2026 exam content outline; pricing on pmi.org.
GPM®, Green Project Management® and Sustainable Project Management® are registered trademarks of GPM Ltd. PRiSM™, P5™, CSPP™, CSPMs™, CSPMx™, CSP™, CSF™, GPM360°™ and PSM3™ are trademarks of GPM Global and, where applicable, PMI-GPM. PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute.
PMI-GPM · Certification
The CSPP is a PMI-GPM certification issued by the Project Management Institute and built on GPM's P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management. Choose your path on PMI or find a training partner.
GPM-b™ to CSPP™ · Transition FAQ
GPM and PMI are transitioning the GPM-b™ certification to the CSPP™ (Certified Sustainable Project Professional) as part of the PMI-GPM joint venture. The PMI-GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management and the PMI-GPM P5™ Standard are both moving to version 4.0. The questions below cover what changes, what does not, and what each group of learners, holders, and training partners should do during the transition window.
GPM and PMI are transitioning the GPM-b™ certification to the CSPP™ (Certified Sustainable Project Professional. As part of this change, the PMI-GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management and the PMI-GPM P5™ Standard for Sustainability in Project Management are both moving to version 4.0.
The CSPP™ is the successor to the GPM-b™. It builds on the same foundation, with updates to terminology, clarity, and supporting materials. The core structure and concepts remain largely the same.
The transition reflects the continued evolution of sustainability practice in projects, including updates to the PMI-GPM Practice Guide and the PMI-GPM P5™ Standard at version 4.0. These updates keep the certification aligned with current industry expectations and global sustainability priorities.
No. The transition is designed to be smooth and minimally disruptive. Existing certification holders and new candidates can expect continuity, with improvements that enhance the overall experience.
The official timeline will be confirmed and communicated by PMI in an upcoming announcement.
Version 4.0 includes updated terminology, more concise language, and targeted refinements to improve clarity and consistency.
Version 4.0 maintains the overall structure, with selected updates to improve usability and alignment with current practice. Key updates include refined elements, impact analysis questions, improved scoring guidance, and a crosswalk aligned to the PMBOK® Guide Version 8.
Yes. The updates are designed to remain backward compatible.
Always use the current, most recent versions of the assigned materials. Older materials may still be useful as reference, but preparation should be based on the latest versions.
Yes. Candidates should prepare using the most current materials, as these align with the exam content.
CSPP™ training is available online through PMI.org and through accredited training partners worldwide.
Training may be offered online, in person, or virtually, depending on the accredited training partner.
During the transition period, individuals currently enrolled in the GPM e-learning course, or those who have not yet completed the course, have until December 31 to complete their training through GPM. After this date, all training is delivered through PMI and accredited partners.
Training must be delivered through PMI or an accredited training partner.
The exam is administered by PMI and delivered through Pearson VUE test centers.
All candidates take the exam through PMI via Pearson VUE, regardless of training pathway.
Yes. Both pathways remain available and are administered through PMI.
Yes. There is a short path (RPL) for eligible candidates and a regular path for others. Both are administered through PMI.
Yes. The exam has been updated to align with the revised materials, with improvements to terminology, clarity, and alignment, while maintaining core concepts.
If you purchased the GPM-b™ version, you have until December 31, 2026, to complete the exam. Continue your current path, complete your course by December 31, and follow PMI guidance for exam processing.
You will lose access to the course and will need to follow the CSPP™ pathway and requirements.
Follow the current PMI exam process and transition guidance.
Yes. You remain eligible but must follow the current PMI exam process.
Yes, as reference. Prepare for the exam using the most current materials.
Nothing is required. Your certification remains valid for five years. PMI offers a free upgrade to CSPP™ with no exam required if you opt in.
Opt in through PMI and agree to the maintenance requirements. You will receive a new certificate and badge at no cost.
No. You may keep your GPM-b™ until it expires.
No. No exam or additional training is required.
Yes. It remains valid until expiration. After expiration, you must purchase and pass the CSPP™ exam.
Once expired, you must purchase the CSPP™ and pass the exam to regain certification.
You must purchase the CSPP™ and pass the exam. Expired certifications are not eligible for the free upgrade.
If your certification was issued through GPM, complete the registry merge approval form at https://gpm.org/registry-merge.
No. It is valid for five years and then expires.
You must purchase the CSPP™ and pass the exam. If your certification is still active, it is best to opt in and upgrade at no cost.
Trainers will use updated terminology and version 4.0 materials. The structure remains largely the same.
No. The update is evolutionary.
Always use the most current versions. Older materials may be used as reference.
Yes. During the transition, use “CSPP™ (formerly GPM-b™)” for clarity.
All application and exam processes are managed through PMI.
Follow official guidance published by PMI.
Yes. Learners in GPM courses have until December 31 to complete them.
Enroll now and follow the current pathway.
Whether your certification is active, expired, or in progress.
Yes, if your certification is active.
No. You must complete the opt-in process.
Updated: April 2026
Update June 4th, 2026
The CSPP launches on June 5th and we have sent the records recieved as of June 3rd to PMI. We will continue sending batches on Friday's every week.
PMI will list your certification on their registry on June 5th if you have submitted by the 3rd. You will be able to go to the PMI website, login and opt-in to the CSPP via your GPM-b listing. They will send an email out on June 8th also to opt-in
Note: GPM will continue to maintain our certification registry, the certificates and digital badges for certifications earned via GPM. If your certification is about to expire, see this page for more.
Is this for you
5
competence units
60+
performance criteria
0
exams
USD 1,299
one fee, monthly plan available
Most sustainability work is done by people whose title does not say sustainability. The procurement lead who now scores suppliers on emissions and labour practices. The HR partner who owns the inclusion program. The facilities manager who reports energy and water. The analyst who compiles the data for the annual report. The graduate hired into a two-person sustainability team and asked to do everything. The CSF is written for them.
It certifies that you can do this work to a published standard, with evidence, and it says so in a form an employer can verify. It is GPM's entry point to a career in sustainability and the first step on the path to the Certified Sustainability Professional.
Functional roles
Operations, procurement, HR, facilities, finance
You have been given sustainability targets, a supplier code, an emissions inventory or a workforce program to run, and you want your competence recognized outside your own company.
Sustainability teams
Coordinators, analysts and officers
You do the assessments, the data and the stakeholder work that the reports are built on, and you want a qualification that reflects what you actually do.
Early career
Graduates and career changers
You have a degree or a first role and real work to show. The CSF turns that work into a certification and tells you exactly what to build next.
Consultants and small firms
Advisers who need a recognized mark
Clients ask what qualifies you. A competence-based certification against a public standard answers that better than a course certificate.
What it certifies
The CSF assesses five of the eight shared units of the GPM Sustainability Competence Standard, the units a person needs in order to contribute to sustainability work competently in any organization. Each unit is broken into elements and performance criteria, and every criterion asks for evidence of what you did and what resulted.
| Unit | What you show evidence of |
|---|---|
| Ethical leadership | Acting on stated values, being transparent about trade-offs, and holding yourself and others accountable in real decisions. |
| Living systems stewardship | Meeting environmental requirements and acting to protect and restore natural systems in the work you influence: resources, emissions, land, water, biodiversity. |
| Talent acquisition, retention and empowerment | Fair, inclusive practices in hiring, development and workplace culture, including support for people at a disadvantage. |
| Assessing and responding to sustainability impacts, with stakeholder engagement | Collecting data, analysing performance, engaging the people affected, and turning findings into responses that are tracked. |
| Regenerative design | Contributing to work that measurably improves the capacity of the social and natural systems it touches, beyond a baseline. |
How the assessment works
Enrol on the portal, free
Open the submission guide on GPM's learning portal and read the introduction. The competence units, elements and performance criteria are all visible before you pay anything.
Check your fit
Map your own work against the units. If you can point to real outputs for most criteria, you are ready. If not, the gaps tell you what to build first.
Pay the assessment fee, USD 1,299
One payment, or a monthly plan. The fee covers the assessor's review of your portfolio, the interview and the certification itself.
Upload your CV and declaration
A current CV and a signed candidate declaration, including any access needs and consent for GPM to verify what you submit.
Submit evidence unit by unit
For each performance criterion, attach the document, record or measurement that shows it and write a short note on your role and the result. Most candidates complete the portfolio in four to eight weeks alongside their job.
Interview, decision and badge
A GPM assessor reviews the portfolio and then meets you online to probe the evidence. A pass leads to certification, a digital badge and a listing in the GPM certification registry. A shortfall comes back as specific feedback so you can resubmit.
Why competence-based
| Exam-based certificate | GPM competence-based certification | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | That you can recall a body of knowledge on the day of the test. | That you have done the work, with results, to a published performance standard. |
| How it is assessed | Multiple choice, timed. | Evidence portfolio reviewed by a practising assessor, then a one-to-one competence interview. |
| The standard behind it | A syllabus or exam content outline. | The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard: units, elements and performance criteria you can read before you apply. |
| Process discipline | Varies. | Aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies certifying persons. |
| What an employer learns | That you studied. | What you can be trusted to do on Monday. |
GPM has certified individuals in sustainability since 2011, and the same assessment discipline runs across every GPM certification: a public standard, evidence, a practising assessor, an interview and a registry entry that anyone can check. The process is aligned with ISO 17024, and the head of GPM's assessor pool sits on the ISO committee that governs that standard.
Why now
Sustainability competence has moved from a specialist function to a hiring criterion. LinkedIn's Green Skills Report found that one company in three now treats sustainability knowledge as critical for career advancement. In GPM's 2024 Insights survey, 80 percent of executives said sustainability is a top priority for long-term business success. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development puts the economic opportunity from sustainability-driven business models at 12 trillion dollars by 2030. The people who can show, with evidence, that they know how to do the work are the ones who will be asked to do it.
The path
Step 1
CSF, Certified Sustainability Fundamentals
Five units. You contribute to sustainability work competently and can prove it. This page.
Step 2
CSP, Certified Sustainability Professional
Eight units. You lead sustainability work: strategy, procurement, change, impact management. The CSF evidence carries forward.
For project professionals
CSPP, CSPMs and CSPMx
GPM's project management certifications, for people who deliver sustainability through projects, programs and portfolios.
The standard behind all of them
Sustainability in Practice
GPM's professional standard for regenerative leadership: what certified professionals are expected to assess, document and refuse.
Getting started
Enrol on the portal. Enrolment is free and shows you every unit, element and performance criterion before you pay.
Map your work against the criteria. If you can point to real outputs for most of them, submit. If not, you have a development plan.
Talk to us if you are unsure. GPM's certification team will tell you honestly whether the CSF or the CSP is the right starting point.
Questions
What is the CSF certification?
The Certified Sustainability Fundamentals (CSF) is GPM's competence-based certification for professionals who support or carry out sustainability work in any organization. It assesses evidence of your own work against five units of the GPM Sustainability Competence Standard and more than 60 performance criteria, followed by an interview with a GPM assessor.
Is the CSF a project management certification?
No. The CSF is for sustainability work in any function: operations, procurement, human resources, facilities, finance, communications, compliance and consulting, as well as people in dedicated sustainability roles. GPM's project management certifications are the CSPP, CSPMs and CSPMx.
Who is the CSF for?
People who have started doing sustainability work and want it recognized: a coordinator who runs the supplier questionnaire, an analyst who compiles the emissions data, an HR partner who owns the inclusion program, a graduate hired into a sustainability team, or a manager who has been handed the sustainability targets for a site or a department.
Is there an exam?
No. You submit evidence from your own work against each performance criterion and then discuss it with an assessor. The process is aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for the certification of persons.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
USD 1,299, with a monthly payment plan available. Enrolment on the portal is free, so you can read every criterion before you pay. Most candidates complete the portfolio in four to eight weeks alongside their job; the interview is scheduled when the portfolio is in.
What comes after the CSF?
The Certified Sustainability Professional (CSP), which assesses eight units at the level of someone who leads sustainability work. The CSF units are a subset of the CSP units, so the evidence you build for the CSF carries forward.
How long is the CSF valid?
Five years from the date of award. Renewal is arranged with GPM's certification team ahead of the expiry date.
Who issues it?
GPM, the sustainability organization that wrote the Sustainability Competence Standard, the P5 Standards and the Sustainability in Practice professional standard. Certified professionals are listed in GPM's public certification registry.
Page updated 5 September 2026. Fees in US dollars; a monthly payment plan is available on the portal.
GPM®, Green Project Management® and Sustainable Project Management® are registered trademarks of GPM Ltd. PRiSM™, P5™, CSPP™, CSPMs™, CSPMx™, CSP™, CSF™, GPM360°™ and PSM3™ are trademarks of GPM Global and, where applicable, PMI-GPM. PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute.
Also on this site
The CSP: the next step. The Sustainability Competence Standard: the units in full, free. P5 for Business Practice: the impact standard for organizations. All GPM certifications.
Is this for you
8
competence units
0
exams
2011
GPM certifying since
USD 1,499
one fee, monthly plan available
The CSP is for the people who carry sustainability in an organization: the sustainability or ESG manager who owns the strategy and the report, the procurement director who owns the supply chain's footprint and labour standards, the head of operations who owns the emissions and the waste, the HR leader who owns inclusion and wellbeing, the finance lead who owns the disclosures, and the consultant who is paid to make all of it work. Their titles differ, and the competence they need is the same.
The CSP assesses that competence directly. You show what you have done, against a public standard, to an assessor who has done the same work. When you pass, you hold a certification that tells an employer or a client what you can be trusted to do, and you join a registry anyone can check.
Sustainability and ESG
Managers, directors and heads of sustainability
You own the strategy, the targets and the disclosures. The CSP certifies the competence behind them, unit by unit, with your own evidence.
Functional leaders
Procurement, operations, HR, facilities, finance, risk
Sustainability now sits in your objectives. The CSP recognizes the sustainability leadership you already exercise inside your function.
Consultants and advisers
Independent practitioners and firms
Clients and tender panels ask for qualifications. A competence-based certification against a published standard is a stronger answer than a list of courses.
Public sector and non-profit
Programme leads and policy officers
The same eight units apply to a ministry, a city or an NGO. The evidence is your programmes, policies and results.
What it certifies
The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard defines ten units. Eight are shared by sustainability leaders and project managers; two cover the inside of a project and belong to the project management certifications. The CSP assesses the eight shared units at the level of a person who leads the work.
| Unit | What you show evidence of |
|---|---|
| Ethical leadership | Decisions taken against stated values under pressure, conflicts of interest named and managed, and others held to the same standard. |
| Living systems stewardship | Understanding the organization's dependence and impact on living systems and acting to protect and restore their capacity: compliance, resources, emissions, biodiversity. |
| Talent acquisition, retention and empowerment | Fair and inclusive hiring, development and culture, with the capability sustainability work requires built into the team. |
| Assessing and responding to sustainability impacts | A structured impact assessment, materiality applied, and findings turned into governed, monitored responses. |
| Stakeholder collaboration and engagement | The people affected identified, heard and worked with, and a record of how their input changed decisions. |
| Sustainable procurement | Sourcing against impact criteria, due diligence carried through the supply chain, supplier commitments enforced and monitored. |
| Change management and resilience | Sustainability-driven change that sticks, and the organization's capacity to absorb shocks strengthened. |
| Regenerative design | Work designed to measurably improve system capacity beyond a baseline, with indicators and verification. |
How the assessment works
Enrol on the portal, free
Open the submission guide on GPM's learning portal and read the introduction. The competence units, elements and performance criteria are all visible before you pay anything.
Check your fit
Map your own work against the units. If you can point to real outputs for most criteria, you are ready. If not, the gaps tell you what to build first.
Pay the assessment fee, USD 1,499
One payment, or a monthly plan. The fee covers the assessor's review of your portfolio, the interview and the certification itself.
Upload your CV and declaration
A current CV and a signed candidate declaration, including any access needs and consent for GPM to verify what you submit.
Submit evidence unit by unit
For each performance criterion, attach the document, record or measurement that shows it and write a short note on your role and the result. Most candidates complete the portfolio in four to eight weeks alongside their job.
Competence interview, decision and badge
A GPM assessor reviews the portfolio and then meets you online to probe the evidence. A pass leads to certification, a digital badge and a listing in the GPM certification registry. A shortfall comes back as specific feedback so you can resubmit.
Why competence-based
| Exam-based certificate | GPM competence-based certification | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | That you can recall a body of knowledge on the day of the test. | That you have done the work, with results, to a published performance standard. |
| How it is assessed | Multiple choice, timed. | Evidence portfolio reviewed by a practising assessor, then a one-to-one competence interview. |
| The standard behind it | A syllabus or exam content outline. | The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard: units, elements and performance criteria you can read before you apply. |
| Process discipline | Varies. | Aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies certifying persons. |
| What an employer learns | That you studied. | What you can be trusted to do on Monday. |
GPM has certified individuals in sustainability since 2011. Every GPM certification uses the same discipline: a public standard, evidence, a practising assessor, an interview and a registry entry anyone can verify. The process is aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies that certify persons, and the head of GPM's assessor pool sits on the ISO committee that governs it.
Why now
Sustainability has become a compensated, accountable profession. GreenBiz's State of the Sustainability Profession 2024 reports average compensation of USD 159,430 for sustainability managers (up 37 percent since 2022), USD 244,649 for directors (up 21 percent in two years) and USD 471,933 for vice presidents (up 50 percent since 2022). With that comes scrutiny: regulators, auditors, investors and customers now ask who is behind the numbers and what qualifies them. A competence-based certification against a published standard is the direct answer.
The question has changed from whether the organization has a sustainability lead to whether that person can show, with evidence, that they know what they are doing.
The path
Before
CSF, Certified Sustainability Fundamentals
Five units at contributor level. If you are early in the work, start here; the evidence carries forward.
This page
CSP, Certified Sustainability Professional
Eight units at the level of someone who leads sustainability in an organization.
For project professionals
CSPP, CSPMs and CSPMx
The project management certifications, for people who deliver sustainability through projects, programs and portfolios.
Deepen the practice
Professional Certificate in Regenerative Leadership
GPM's programme for leaders who want regeneration as a design discipline, built on the Sustainability in Practice standard.
Getting started
Enrol on the portal. Enrolment is free and shows you all eight units and every performance criterion before you pay.
Map your last two or three years of work against them. Policies you wrote, assessments you ran, suppliers you changed, programmes you led, disclosures you signed off. That is your portfolio.
Not there yet? The CSF assesses five of the same units at contributor level and everything you build for it counts toward the CSP.
Questions
What is the CSP certification?
The Certified Sustainability Professional (CSP) is GPM's competence-based certification for people who lead sustainability work in an organization. It assesses evidence of your own work against the eight shared units of the GPM Sustainability Competence Standard, followed by an interview with a GPM assessor.
Is the CSP a project management certification?
No. The CSP certifies sustainability leadership in any function: corporate sustainability and ESG teams, operations, procurement, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, and consulting. GPM's project management certifications are the CSPP, CSPMs and CSPMx.
Who is the CSP for?
Sustainability and ESG managers and directors; heads of procurement, operations, HR or facilities who own sustainability outcomes; consultants and advisers who sell sustainability services; and functional leaders who have been made accountable for sustainability targets and need their competence recognized.
How is it different from the CSF?
The CSF assesses five units at the level of someone who contributes to sustainability work. The CSP assesses eight units at the level of someone who leads it, including sustainable procurement, change management and resilience, and the full impact assessment and response cycle. CSF evidence carries forward into a CSP portfolio.
Is there an exam?
No. You build an evidence portfolio against each performance criterion and then discuss it with an assessor in a competence interview. The process is aligned with ISO 17024.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
USD 1,499, with a monthly payment plan available. Enrolment on the portal is free. Most candidates complete the portfolio in six to ten weeks alongside their job.
How long is the CSP valid?
Five years from the date of award. Renewal is arranged with GPM's certification team ahead of the expiry date.
Who issues it and how is it recognized?
GPM, the sustainability organization that wrote the Sustainability Competence Standard, the P5 Standards and the Sustainability in Practice professional standard. GPM has certified individuals since 2011; certified professionals are listed in its public registry and receive a verifiable digital badge.
Page updated 5 September 2026. Fees in US dollars; a monthly payment plan is available on the portal.
GPM®, Green Project Management® and Sustainable Project Management® are registered trademarks of GPM Ltd. PRiSM™, P5™, CSPP™, CSPMs™, CSPMx™, CSP™, CSF™, GPM360°™ and PSM3™ are trademarks of GPM Global and, where applicable, PMI-GPM. PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute.
Also on this site
The CSF: the first step. The Sustainability Competence Standard: the units in full, free. P5 for Business Practice: the impact standard for organizations. PSM3: assess your organization's maturity.
Which one is for you
GPM's certification line covers two kinds of professional. Project, program and portfolio managers who have to deliver sustainability through their projects take the CSPP first and move to the CSPMs and CSPMx as their work grows. Sustainability professionals whose work sits in any business function take the CSF and CSP, which have no project management requirement. All five stand on the same standards: the P5 Standard for impact, the Practice Guide for method and the GPM Sustainability Competence Standard for what a competent professional can be trusted to do.
PMI-GPM · issued by PMI · exam
CSPP, Certified Sustainable Project Professional
For project leaders who make sustainability part of delivery. Built on the P5 Standard; two bundles, 100 or 145 questions; renewed every three years with 30 PDUs.
PMI-GPM · administered by GPM · competence
CSPMs, Certified Sustainable Project Manager, Specialist
For project and program managers delivering sustainability through moderately complex projects. Ten units, evidence from your own projects, assessor interview. USD 1,299.
PMI-GPM · administered by GPM · competence
CSPMx, Certified Sustainable Project Manager, Expert
For senior project, program and portfolio leaders of highly complex, sustainability-driven work. Ten units at the leadership level. USD 1,499.
GPM · any business function · competence
CSF, Certified Sustainability Fundamentals
For people who carry out sustainability work in any role: coordinators, analysts, procurement, operations, HR, facilities, finance. Five units. No project management requirement. USD 1,299.
GPM · any business function · competence
CSP, Certified Sustainability Professional
For people who lead sustainability in an organization: sustainability and ESG managers and directors, functional leaders, public-sector programme leads, consultants. Eight units. USD 1,499.
Side by side
| CSPP | CSPMs | CSPMx | CSF | CSP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Project leaders adding sustainability to delivery | Project and program managers, moderate complexity | Senior project, program and portfolio leaders | People who carry out sustainability work in any function | People who lead sustainability in an organization |
| Ownership | PMI-GPM, issued by PMI | PMI-GPM, administered by GPM | PMI-GPM, administered by GPM | GPM | GPM |
| Assessment | Proctored exam, 100 or 145 questions | Evidence portfolio and assessor interview, ten units | Evidence portfolio and assessor interview, ten units at leadership level | Evidence portfolio and assessor interview, five units | Evidence portfolio and assessor interview, eight units |
| Entry | Secondary diploma, or an active PM certification for the shorter path | Real project work to evidence | Senior, highly complex work to evidence | Real sustainability work to evidence | Leadership of sustainability work to evidence |
| Standard | P5 Standard, Practice Guide, PRiSM | Competence Standard, P5 Standard | Competence Standard, P5 Standard | Competence Standard, P5 for Business Practice | Competence Standard, P5 for Business Practice |
| Valid for | 3 years, 30 PDUs, in your PMI account | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Fee | Set by PMI (bundle with course) | USD 1,299 | USD 1,499 | USD 1,299 | USD 1,499 |
| Where | pmi.org | GPM learning portal | GPM learning portal | GPM learning portal | GPM learning portal |
Two ways to be assessed
The CSPP is an exam. It suits the moment when a professional needs to show they know the standard, and PMI's infrastructure delivers it at Pearson VUE centres and online worldwide. The other four are competence-based. A candidate enrols on GPM's learning portal free of charge, reads every unit, element and performance criterion of the Competence Standard, and then submits evidence from their own work against each criterion: policies written, assessments run, plans, reports, decisions and measured results. A practising GPM assessor reviews the portfolio and meets the candidate online to probe it. The process is aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies certifying persons.
| Exam-based certificate | GPM competence-based certification | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | That you can recall a body of knowledge on the day of the test. | That you have done the work, with results, to a published performance standard. |
| How it is assessed | Multiple choice, timed. | Evidence portfolio reviewed by a practising assessor, then a one-to-one competence interview. |
| The standard behind it | A syllabus or exam content outline. | The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard: units, elements and performance criteria you can read before you apply. |
| Process discipline | Varies. | Aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies certifying persons. |
| What an employer learns | That you studied. | What you can be trusted to do on Monday. |
One standard behind them
Competence
The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard, Version 2.1
Ten competence units with elements and evidence-based performance criteria. A PMI-GPM publication written by GPM; the basis of the CSF, CSP, CSPMs and CSPMx and of the CSPP exam content.
Impact
The P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, Version 4.0
52 impact elements across People, Planet and Prosperity, scored against a baseline with thresholds that trigger decisions. The core of the CSPP exam and of every project-level portfolio.
Method
The Practice Guide and PRiSM
How a project team applies the P5 Standard from Discovery to Delivery, with the Sustainability Management Plan as the running record.
Typical paths
Project professionals
CSPP, then CSPMs, then CSPMx
A PMP or CAPM holder takes the Bundle for Practitioners, earns the CSPP, delivers projects under the P5 Standard, then submits that work for the CSPMs. Portfolio and PMO leaders continue to the CSPMx.
Sustainability professionals
CSF, then CSP
A coordinator or analyst certifies at the CSF level; the units are a subset of the CSP, so the evidence carries forward when they step up to lead the work.
Organizations
Team training and PSM3
Teams train together through GPM or an Accredited Training Partner, individuals certify, and the organization measures its own maturity with PSM3.
Teachers and trainers
Accredited Training Partners
Organizations that deliver GPM's IACET-accredited courses in their regions and languages, including CSPP preparation.
Verification
GPM keeps a public certification registry. Anyone can search it by name; every record shows the certification, its number, the dates and whether it is active. Holders can add the certification to LinkedIn with a verification link, or print a registry record as a PDF. CSPP holders are listed in PMI's certification registry, and GPM sends the transferred GPM-b records to PMI in weekly batches. Search the registry.
Questions
Which GPM certification should I start with?
If you manage projects and hold a PMI or similar certification, start with the CSPP and add the CSPMs once you have delivered sustainability-driven projects. If you are new to project management, the CSPP Bundle teaches the essentials and the sustainability content together. If you do sustainability work outside project management, in procurement, operations, HR, finance or a sustainability office, start with the CSF or, if you lead the work, the CSP.
Is the CSPP a GPM certification or a PMI certification?
Both, in a precise way: it is a PMI-GPM certification. GPM created it in 2013 as the GPM-b and wrote the P5 Standard it is built on; since June 2026 PMI issues and administers it through the PMI-GPM joint venture. You apply, sit the exam and renew in your PMI account. GPM does not sell the CSPP.
What is the difference between exam-based and competence-based?
The CSPP tests knowledge of the standard in a proctored exam. The CSF, CSP, CSPMs and CSPMx assess what you have done: you submit evidence from your own work against each performance criterion of the GPM Sustainability Competence Standard and then discuss it with an assessor. There is no exam. The process is aligned with ISO 17024, the international standard for bodies that certify persons.
How long are the certifications valid?
The CSPP follows PMI's cycle: three years, renewed by reporting 30 PDUs in your PMI account. GPM's competence-based certifications are valid for five years from the date of award; renewal is arranged with GPM's certification team ahead of the expiry date.
Do I need experience?
For the CSPP Bundle, only a secondary diploma; the Bundle for Practitioners asks for an active project management certification or a relevant master's degree. The competence-based certifications need real work to point to: the CSF and CSPMs at the level of someone who carries out the work, the CSP and CSPMx at the level of someone who leads it.
What do they cost?
The CSF and CSPMs assessments are USD 1,299 and the CSP and CSPMx are USD 1,499, each a single fee with a monthly plan available and free enrolment on the portal so you can read every criterion before paying. CSPP pricing, including member pricing, is published by PMI on the two bundle pages.
How do I verify that someone holds a GPM certification?
Search the public certification registry by name, or open the verification link carried by the holder's LinkedIn record or PDF certificate. The registry shows the certification, its number, the dates and whether it is active. CSPP holders are verified in PMI's registry.
What happened to the GPM-b?
The Green Project Manager, Basic became the CSPP on 5 June 2026. Active GPM-b holders transfer at no cost through the registry-merge form and a PMI opt-in; expired holders can arrange a renewal exam with GPM; the GPM-b exam remains available to new candidates through 31 December 2026.
Page updated 5 September 2026. GPM fees in US dollars; CSPP pricing on pmi.org.
GPM®, Green Project Management® and Sustainable Project Management® are registered trademarks of GPM Ltd. PRiSM™, P5™, CSPP™, CSPMs™, CSPMx™, CSP™, CSF™, GPM360°™ and PSM3™ are trademarks of GPM Global and, where applicable, PMI-GPM. PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute.
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GPM®, Green Project Management®, and Sustainable Project Management® are registered trademarks of GPM Ltd. PRiSM™, the PMI-GPM P5™ Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, the PMI-GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management, CSPP™ (formerly GPM-b™), CSPMs™, CSPMx™, CSP™, CSF™, Certified Sustainable Project Manager (Expert)™, GPM360°™, and PSM3™ are trademarks of GPM Global and the PMI-GPM Joint Venture as applicable. Use requires written consent.
