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Purpose Shifts in investor demand, rising social responsibility concerns, and climate change have intensified global interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. This study aims to examine how ESG practices influence megaproject management performance, drawing on legitimacy theory, and to investigate the moderating effects of environmental dynamism and munificence. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey approach was employed to collect data from Chinese megaproject organizations. The study tested the direct, mediating, and moderating relationships among ESG practices, environmental dynamism, munificence, and megaproject performance using statistical analysis. Findings The results reveal that ESG practices significantly enhance megaproject management performance. Environmental and social practices mediate the relationship between governance practices and performance. Furthermore, environmental dynamism and munificence moderate these effects, indicating that external environmental factors shape the strength of ESG's impact on project outcomes. Originality/value By integrating ESG perspectives with megaproject management research, this study extends legitimacy theory into a new domain. It provides both theoretical contributions and practical insights for advancing ESG implementation in megaprojects, supporting sustainable and socially responsible project management.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.