The creation of an Observatory of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Portuguese companies comes at a crucial time for the implementation of this agenda in the country and in the world.

We are in the so-called “Decade of Action”, so named by the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres. A decade of action to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs and reach its goals in 2030. In this sense, and taking into account the crucial role of the private sector in fulfilling this agenda, it is imperative to understand the adoption of the Sustainable Development Agenda by companies Portuguese companies, in order to identify potential barriers to action and opportunities for improvement. Therefore, and following this commitment, CATÓLICA-LISBON, in partnership with BPI Fundação "La Caixa", and Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos promote this project, which, due to its novelty, promises to be a landmark in the study of this topic in Portugal and worldwide .   

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The SDGs Observatory in Portuguese companies monitors the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda by monitoring a representative group of companies. It presents the following approach:

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• the study of a representative group of large and small and medium-sized Portuguese companies, in order to understand their context and faced challenges

• its output is an Annual Report , which presupposes a longitudinal analysis of the data, with a solid and constant theoretical background of analysis,  based on the proposals of economic and business science. Therefore, the present study presupposes a consistent follow-up over the years that will allow us to assess how Portuguese companies are evolving in adopting the SDG agenda.

In Portugal, the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Agenda has been advancing, but still below what is necessary for the fulfillment of the 2030 goals. In this sense, it is essential: 

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• The involvement of the private sector in fulfilling this agenda, with a clear perception of the benefits for all parties (companies, state and citizens).

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• Understand in a deeper way the Portuguese context in the evolution of SDG compliance and the concrete role companies can play.

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• Understand how Portuguese companies are incorporating the SDGs into their activities from the most peripheral to the core business.

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• Identify and disseminate good practices and show the path to follow, in alignment with the priority objectives of Portugal and the United Nations in the Universal Agenda.