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Green Project Terminology:

The Language of the Green Wave

As with every discipline, there are some key terms and fundamental con-
cepts to learn so let’s start with those. Project managers know that being
conversant in a practice area is critical, not only to truly perform well, but
to increase our personal credibility and to get good results. One cannot
succeed in a technical firm dealing, for example, with sophisticated phar-
maceutical drug introductions and refer to the products or the process
components as “whatchamacallits” and “thingamajiggies.” You may not
need to be a full-fledged expert in the technology, but you’d better know
how to talk to and understand your subject matter experts and customers.
The green wave context is no different. The bad news is that the green wave
has a large vocabulary and a set of new concepts to understand. The good
news is that most of the concepts center around an important few (it’s that
Pareto principle at work again), and we can filter that large vocabulary
down to a relatively few terms that you’ll need for “green wave” conver-
sancy. For the project manager, the remainder can be acquired as you go
through the various processes of green project management.

CarBon FootPrint and sustainaBility
Carbon footprint and sustainability are two important terms in the green
wave. Carbon footprint is important for several reasons. It is the residue left
behind when using carbon-based fuels, analogous to the footprint you leave
behind when walking across a sandy beach. The problem with the carbon
footprint is that, unlike your footprint in the sand, it is not easily erased
by the tide. Your carbon footprint is made up of two components, a direct

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