Category 03 · Environment

Sustainability Leadership Award

For projects that embed environmental sustainability as a core design principle, aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Category 01 · Flagship

Category 02 · Social Impact

About the Sustainability Leadership Award

Sustainability as a design requirement

The Sustainability Leadership Award recognizes projects that embed environmental sustainability as a core design principle. Winning projects demonstrate measurable reductions in environmental impact, carbon footprint, waste, or resource consumption, aligned to one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The projects shaping our region’s infrastructure, energy, and land use today will define its environmental footprint for decades. This award elevates teams treating sustainability as a requirement – rewarding measurable outcomes, third-party rigour, and leadership that raises the bar for the entire sector.

Eligibility

Eligible Projects: Completed between January 1, 2020, to May 31, 2026.

Who is eligible?

Minimum project budget of CAD $50,000
A documented baseline environmental impact
Measurable improvement versus that baseline
GHG emissions data (Scope 1 / 2 / 3)
Alignment to SDG 7, 11, 12, 13 or 15
Sectors: construction, energy, transport, manufacturing, land use

Ineligible submissions

Projects without a documented baseline
Projects with no measurable improvement vs. baseline
Submissions lacking GHG / environmental impact data
Projects previously recognized in another PMI POTY program
Submissions from committee members or their direct reports

Participation & conflict of interest

Criteria, Rules, & Guidelines

Scored against five weighted criteria for a total of 100 points; a minimum of 60 is required to advance to the shortlist.

Criterion	Weight	Max	Min	Key Evidence
Total	100%	100	60	Minimum threshold to advance to shortlist
Sustainability vision & objectives	15%	15	9	Strategy & objectives; ESG / SDG alignment; baseline position; long-term vision
Environmental & sustainability outcomes	35%	35	21	Outcomes vs. baseline (CO₂e, energy, waste, water); GHG data; verification
Sustainable innovation & leadership	20%	20	12	Novelty vs. sector norms; leadership maturity; influence on standards
Stakeholder & community engagement	15%	15	9	Engagement records; culture-building; partnerships; consultation
Long-term sustainability strategy	15%	15	9	Continuity & scalability; long-term targets; governance; monitoring cadence

The project must embed environmental sustainability as a core design principle.
A minimum project budget of CAD $50,000 is required.
A documented environmental baseline and measurable improvement against it must be provided.
GHG emissions data (Scope 1 / 2 / 3) and waste diversion metrics are required; third-party verification is preferred.
The project must align to one or more of SDG 7, 11, 12, 13, or 15.
Each category requires its own complete submission; previously recognized projects are not eligible.
Submissions are confidential and a minimum score of 60 points is required to be shortlisted.

1

Nomination

Submit a complete application through the POTY portal for the category, including responses to every criterion and all supporting documents.

2

Conflict-of-interest review

Judges declare any connection to applicants; matches trigger automatic recusal and reassignment.

3

Distribution & calibration

Each entry goes to two judges plus a reserve, and a calibration workshop anchors scoring norms.

4

Independent scoring

Judges score independently over a three-week window, with no inter-judge communication.

5

Aggregation & shortlist

Weighted totals are calculated, outliers resolved, and the top three finalists per category confirmed.

6

Finalist presentations

Finalists deliver a prepared presentation to the panel ahead of the ceremony.

7

Winner deliberation

The full panel votes by secret ballot; the Program Director breaks any tie.

8

Recognition

Winners are announced live at the PMWest Annual Conference and added to the case-study archive.

A complete nomination package for this award includes:

Organization & project profile - sector, dates, and budget
Sustainability strategy with SDG alignment mapping
Documented environmental baseline and measurable outcomes (CO₂e, energy, waste, water)
GHG emissions data (Scope 1 / 2 / 3) and waste diversion metrics
Third-party verification of results (preferred)
Stakeholder engagement records
A long-term sustainability and monitoring plan

Key Dates

Could your project be among the first?

2026 is the inaugural program year. Applications open June 12 and close September 30 - winners are celebrated at the PMWest Conference in November.

Vancouver PM Networking Social: PMs in the Park

PMI CWCC – New Member Orientation

PMWest 2026

Explore Volunteering Opportunities with the PMI CWCC