The pitfalls of treating sustainability as an afterthought
The consequences of sidelining sustainability are stark. Consider a recent mine expansion project where our Zutari engineers (who explicitly had environmental management excluded from their scope) designed a causeway for an access road upgrade. The design work only started after environmental approvals had been finalised. Unfortunately, this critical structure was excluded from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Water Use Licence application. This scenario is emblematic of a systemic issue: when sustainability is siloed or delayed, projects risk costly redesigns, permit rejections, and community opposition.
The root cause lies in timing. Major decisions such as site selection, technology choices, and material sourcing are often locked in during early project phases. Once these choices are made, retrofitting sustainability becomes prohibitively expensive. For example, opting for energy-intensive equipment during feasibility studies commits a project to higher carbon footprints and operational costs for decades. Conversely, integrating sustainability from the outset identifies efficiencies, aligns projects with corporate sustainability goals and global standards (like the UN Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs), and secures social license to operate.
Such cases underscore a universal truth: the earlier sustainability is integrated, the greater its value. Early-phase decisions, site selection, material choices, and energy systems lock in environmental and social impacts for decades.
A proactive approach to project planning and sustainability reaps value. A 2022 McKinsey report underscores this, revealing that out of 500 projects studied, of which 62% were valued at $1 billion or more, the average cost overrun was 79%, yet a focus on getting things right in the early stages, can result in significant improvements to outcomes, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, risk and net present value (NPV).
A proactive framework: Embedding sustainability across phases
At Zutari we are adopting an approach where we endeavour to integrate sustainability onto all our projects, where this is part of our appointment or not. The following table shows our approach to doing this across the project life cycle.
Activity | Project phase | |||
General project objectives in the sustainability workstream per project phase | Concept study: Identify project opportunities and constraints, assess preliminary feasibility, and determine alignment with strategic goals. | Prefeasibility study: Develop and evaluate project concepts, refine feasibility, and select the preferred option for further development. | Feasibility study: Conduct detailed engineering, cost estimation, and risk assessment to finalise the project design and prepare for execution. | Execution & construction: Develop comprehensive execution plans, secure necessary approvals, and prepare for and manage project implementation, including detailed design, construction, and commissioning. |
Project sustainability Policy | Develop and implement a Sustainability Policy for the project aligned with client’s policy and priorities. | Revise if necessary and implement. Communicate to project team. | Implement | Implement |
Sustainability risk & Opportunity assessment | Undertake the assessment. Develop initial risk and opportunity management plan. | Review and revise sustainability risk and opportunity plan. | Revise plan if necessary and implement. | Implement |
Alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs) | Determine areas where the project can the project contribute to the UN SDGs during construction and operations. | Develop an SDG alignment plan. | Review and revise plan if necessary | Implement for construction phase. Review and revise for operations. |
Sustainability benchmark study | Compare project against industry standards and best practice. Identify opportunities for innovation. | Incorporate desired standards into engineering designs. | Review engineering designs against standards. Revise standards based on EIA recommendations. | Implement for construction. |
Environmental and social permitting | Start preparing information to procure an EIA consultant. | Engage environmental and social permitting consultants to undertake ESIA and other permitting applications. | EIA may only be completed in this phase. | Implement construction ESMP |
Climate change strategy | Preliminary risk assessment | Mitigation planning | Cost benefit analysis | Implement and report. |
Stakeholder engagement | Engage with stakeholders and affected communities from early on | Stakeholder engagement undertaken by EIA consultants. | Stakeholder engagement undertaken by EIA consultants. | Project proponent continues with stakeholder engagement. |
Resettlement, compensation and livelihood restoration | Determine need for resettlement and or financial compensation and livelihood restoration. | Develop a Relocation Action Plan (RAP) for the project. | Update the RAP to include requirements in the EIA and the EIA permit (Environmental Authorisation in South Africa). | Implement RAP. |
Review | Review adherence to project sustainability criteria and ESMP requirements. | |||
We believe that to avoid the pitfalls discussed, sustainability must be woven into every stage of the project lifecycle. A key project member to help make this happen is the Sustainability Advisor.
The critical role of sustainability expertise
Sustainability is a discipline requiring specialised knowledge of evolving regulations, technologies, and stakeholder dynamics. Assigning a Sustainability Advisor to every project ensures continuity and accountability. For small projects, an advisor can oversee multiple initiatives, while large-scale endeavours demand dedicated teams.
This approach contrasts sharply with relying solely on the general knowledge of the project team or external Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultants. While EIA teams play a vital role, they often join late in the process—after key decisions are irreversible. Internal sustainability advisors bridge this gap, working alongside engineers to:
- Ensure that the sustainability framework is properly implemented, especially in early project decisions.
- Help to analyse and address problem areas related to sustainability faced by the project.
- Interface with the EIA consultants when they are appointed.
- Ensure compliance with permits and stakeholder agreements.
Conclusion: Sustainability as a driver of value
Projects that prioritise sustainability from inception are not just ethically sound—they are economically resilient. They avoid delays, reduce operational costs, and enhance reputational equity. For instance, integrating solar power during the feasibility phase of a remote mine cuts diesel dependency, slashing both emissions and fuel logistics costs.
The mining, infrastructure, and energy sectors face a pivotal choice: cling to outdated practices that treat sustainability as a burden or embrace it as a strategic advantage. Because the field of sustainability is advancing rapidly, practices that were adopted just a few years ago may not be acceptable today. By embedding sustainability into every decision, from concept to commissioning,we work with our clients to deliver projects that power progress while safeguarding communities and ecosystems.
At Zutari, we champion this mindset. Our experience shows that sustainability is not a trade-off but a multiplier of value. Let us move beyond compliance and redefine what it means to engineer a sustainable future—one project at a time.
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