Introducing the fourth constraint in project management : Project Carbon Footprint Management

Numerous efforts are being made by various interest groups, governments and individuals to reduce the Carbon Footprint (CFP) of products and services. In recent years, several authors have reported various approaches to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of different types of projects. With the increasing focus on sustainable development and eco-friendly projects, the term green project management was coined. However, green project management has not reached its full maturity yet and more theoretical as well as practical developments need to be undertaken. This paper introduces the concept of project CFP management and argues that CFP should be included as the fourth constraint alongside with time, cost and scope in green project management. The paper also points out the importance of including Project CFP Management as a core knowledge area in Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and proposes an approach to control the overall CFP of the project.