On April 9, the SDG Meetings: Future in Action event was held at CATÓLICA-LISBON, attracting more than 200 registered participants from large, medium, and small companies, as well as representatives from the public sector and other public and private organizations.

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In the opening session, Filipe Santos, Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON, spoke about the urgency of the environmental and social agendas, the importance of sustainability for business competitiveness, and the need for pragmatism in implementing the actions required to advance the Sustainable Development Agenda.

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Next, Filipa Pires de Almeida, Deputy Director of the Center for Responsible Business and Leadership, presented the initiatives carried out by the SDG Observatory in Portuguese companies during Year 2 of the project:

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1. The publication of the Year 2 Report in October of last year;

2. The release of the report in English;

3. Individualized analyses;

4. The “2030 Minute” video series;

5. The expansion of the project to include international investors;

6. The replication of the project;

7. Monthly newsletters; and

8. The training program “Beyond ESG: Shaping the Future of Business.”

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Additionally, she explained the progress of the data collection phase, which is currently underway, and unveiled the three studies that will be included in the Year 3 Report:

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• Balancing Profit and Purpose: The Strategic Integration of the Sustainable Development Goals for Corporate Success, which was published on the day of the event and can be accessed here.

• Governance: Strategic Alignment with Sustainability, scheduled for publication within the following two weeks.

• Sustainability Reporting: The Integration and Strategic Communication of the SDGs.

Following the presentations, three workshops were held, each with around forty participants. The workshops addressed different topics and included practical exercises on:

• The Business Case for the SDGs;

• The Governance process and its connection to Sustainability; and

• Double Materiality: From ESG to the SDGs.

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The event concluded with a panel discussion on “Accelerating the Goals: Tech for SDG Achievement,” moderated by Margarida Anselmo, Partner at MAZE – Decoding Impact.

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The panel featured David Veloso, Sustainability Director at Luz Saúde; Rui Solheiro, Innovation & Business Development Manager at MEXT – Mota-Engil; Bruno Abreu, Co-founder and CEO of SCUBIC; and Filipe Machado, Chief Engineering, Marketing and R&D Officer at Boome.

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Nuno Moreira da Cruz, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Business and Leadership, delivered the closing remarks. During his speech, he reminded participants of the growing importance of sustainability within the business world and emphasized the fundamental role of implementation in turning sustainability commitments into meaningful action.

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Through all its initiatives, the Observatory seeks to build a community of businesses and researchers dedicated to promoting Sustainable Development and advancing knowledge on sustainability-related topics.

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We would like to thank everyone who joined us for this event, and we look forward to seeing you again at the launch of the Year 3 Report in November 2024.

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We would also like to share the event highlights video, as well as the presentations delivered during the event.