Announcing 2024's Most Influential Projects, All Making Significant Progress Towards UN Sustainable Development Goals

The 2024 PMI Most Influential Projects recognizes 20 transformative projects across the globe, from supplying vulnerable communities with clean water to making roads safer with AI

24 September 2024

Today, Project Management Institute (PMI) announced its 2024 Most Influential Projects, honoring 20 projects across industries and regions that have achieved significant milestones in alignment with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the last 18 months—all addressing clear outcomes that drive project success beyond budget, scope, and schedule. The full list of projects was revealed today at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in New York City.

Since introducing the SDGs in 2015 to address the world's most urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges, millions of people, nonprofits, collectives, and companies have come together to generate robust, creative ideas about improving the world and creating progress. Progress, however, has been slow, with only 17% of the SDG targets on track, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2024 . At the same time, PMI research just revealed that projects with some degree of social benefits are more likely to be rated a success.

“This year’s Most Influential Projects are strong examples of the important work needed to address our world’s most pressing challenges, from rising ocean temperatures and food insecurity, to gender inequality and inadequate education,” said Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President & CEO of PMI. “We celebrate these projects and the passionate individuals leading them because they are dedicated to creating a better human existence for all. They exemplify the power of effective project management and its ability to lead transformation, drive meaningful change and elevate the world around us.”

Through empathy, teamwork, innovation — and outstanding project management – this year’s honorees represent transformative initiatives that advance the United Nations SDGs. The projects recognized implement solutions and comprehensive approaches that rethink the world as we know it rather than putting a bandage on problems. They're critically assessing their performance to develop replicable best practices that can create exponential positive change.

The list highlights project teams' progress on innovative projects in education, climate action, architecture, technology, healthcare, and more.

The Top 20 Most Influential Projects*

  1. 1 Billion Tree Project, Government of Mongolia in collaboration with private enterprise (Region: Asia Pacific) 
  2. 3D Kidney Printing, Trestle Biotherapeutics (Region: North America) 
  3. Africa’s Largest Kitchen, Food4Education (Region: Sub-Saharan Africa)
  4. Blue Natural Capital, OCN.AI (Region: Global) 
  5. Digital Security Training, Freedom of the Press Foundation (Region: Global) 
  6. Disappearing Packaging, Notpla, Ltd. (Region: Latin America) 
  7. Energy Subscription Program, Beyond The Grid Fund for Africa (Region: Sub-Saharan Africa)
  8. Escuelas de Lluvia, Isla Urbana (Region: Latin America) 
  9. Irrigation Monitoring Sensors, Virtual Irrigation Academy (Region: Global) 
  10. Jardin de Mels, State Secretariat for Sustainable Development (Sedest), the Water and Land Institute, and the government of Paraná, Brazil (Region: Latin America) 
  11. LATAM Accelerator Cohort, Inter-American Development Bank and Toilet Board Coalition (Region: Latin America)
  12. Life-changing Cash Transfers, GiveDirectly (Region: Sub-Saharan Africa) 
  13. National STEM Festival, EXPLR and U.S. Department of Education (Region: North America) 
  14. NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative, IKEA (Region: Global)
  15. Requiem in Power, City of Valencia, Spain (Region: Europe) 
  16. Sana Jardin Women’s Cooperative, Sana Jardin Perfumes (Region: MENA) 
  17. The Pad Project Partnership Program, The Pad Project (Region: Global)
  18. UNHCR Sports Partnership, Fundación Barça and UN’s High Commission on Refugees (Region: Europe) 
  19. Vietnam Home-to-School Travel Safety Program, International Road Assessment Programme (Region: APAC) 
  20. Wolbachia Mosquitoes Release Program, World Mosquito Program (Region: Global)

 

Visit the Most Influential Projects Regional Spotlights:

*All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners.
To view the complete list of projects and industry- and regional spotlights, visit pmi.org/most-influential-projects-2024. Projects identified as “Global” made positive impacts in two or more regions. 

Methodology
To uncover which projects to shine a light on in the Most Influential Projects list, we employed two approaches. First, surveying the PMI global community, including experts, volunteers, academics, and industry leaders already immersed in projects and the industry at large, with a request for nominations. PMI then put hundreds of projects through a rigorous evaluation process to determine its alignment with the UN SDGs, nomination timeframe, audience values, and more. To arrive at our final list of 20, we used journalistic principles to ensure that each project aligns with the mission of PMI and the Most Influential Projects.

PMI Trademarks: Project Management Institute and PMI are registered trademarks of Project Management Institute, Inc. in the U.S. and/or in other countries

 

Media contact

MaryKate Dougherty

External Communications Specialist

[email protected]

About PMI

PMI is the leading authority in project management, dedicated to guiding the way to project success. Since 1969, PMI has shone a light on the power of project management and the people behind the projects. With a global community, gold-standard professional certifications, and career-long learning opportunities, PMI empowers current and aspiring project professionals, as well as organizations, with knowledge and resources to lead effectively and create an impact in the communities they serve. Join PMI in elevating our world – one project at a time. Connect with us at www.pmi.org, linkedin.com/company/projectmanagementinstitute, on Instagram @pmi_org, and on TikTok @PMInstitute.

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