What this library is
Written by GPM, applied worldwide
Everything in this library was written by GPM, beginning with the first reference guide in 2013 and the P5 Standard in 2014; since 2025 the project management standards and guides are PMI-GPM publications. The standards define what a sustainable project must account for; PRiSM is the method for delivering one; the guides put both into daily practice; and the research reports what practitioners actually do. For an introduction to the subject, read the guide to sustainability in project management. Editions and dates are listed on the Provenance page.
The standards and guides are free to download. Training, assessment and certification against them are offered as Sustainable Project Management® by GPM.
Standards
What a sustainable project, business and practitioner must account for
Standard
The P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, Version 4.0
52 impact elements across People, Planet and Prosperity, five lenses, crosswalked to the SDGs, GRI, TCFD and ISSB. Published with PMI. Free download.
Standard
The P5 Standard for Sustainability in Business Practice
GPM's standard for sustainability at the enterprise level, aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: a framework for policy, impact and disclosure. Free download.
Standard
The GPM Sustainability Competence Standard, Version 2.1
A performance-based competence standard for sustainability professionals and project practitioners: 10 competence units, two practitioner tracks, evidence-based criteria. Free.
Method
How projects are delivered against the standards
Method
PRiSM: PRojects integrating Sustainable Methods
GPM's project delivery method, built on the P5 Standard and the Sustainability Management Plan, and the basis of the Practice Guide.
Method artifact
The Sustainability Management Plan
The single project document that carries impacts, commitments, evidence and outcomes from Pre-Project screening to benefits realization. Introduced 2009, free template.
Method
The PRiSM principles
The six principles behind PRiSM, from commitment and accountability to social and ecological equity, and how they turn sustainability into decisions on real projects.
Map
The Sustainable Project Management® ecosystem
How the standards, method, certifications and assessments fit together: the P5 Standard, PRiSM, the Practice Guide, the certifications and PSM3, in one interactive map.
Guides
Putting the standards into practice
Guide
The PMI GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management, Fourth Edition
The operational companion to the P5 Standard: 209 pages, 14 chapters, impact thresholds as decision triggers, dynamic materiality, and GRI, TCFD, ISSB and CDP mappings. Free.
Guide
The PMI GPM Guide to Responsible Project Sponsorship
For the people who authorize and govern projects: seven STEWARD accountabilities, six decision aids, 13 chapters. A PMI-GPM publication. Free.
Guide
The Project Sustainability Reporting Guide
Connects each phase of the project lifecycle to GRI, ISSB, CSRD, CSDDD, EU Taxonomy and SDG reporting through one Sustainability Management Plan. Free.
Guide
Sustainability in Practice: A Professional Standard
GPM's practitioner guide to competent sustainability practice: what must be assessed, documented, refused and reported inside real organizations. Free download.
Research and reference
Evidence, definitions and analysis
Research
Insights: sustainability in projects across 113 countries
GPM's research report with APM, based on 10,000+ responses across 113 countries, on how impact analysis, Sustainability Management Plans and governance are used in projects.
Reference
Glossary of terms
316 defined terms used in GPM's standards, method and certifications, from accountability and adaptive capacity to the Sustainability Management Plan. Updated April 2026.
Reference
White papers and case studies
White papers on frameworks, materiality, AI governance and disclosure, and case studies showing how organizations applied the P5 Standard and PRiSM in practice.
Reference
Perspectives
Essays and analysis from GPM on regeneration, project governance, the P5 Standard and why sustainability belongs inside project decisions.
Citing GPM's publications
Each publication page carries its title, edition, year and publisher. When citing, name the edition and year, for example "PMI GPM P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, Version 4.0, 2026". Corrections and requests go through the contact page.