As discussions around the Post-2030 Global Agenda intensify, it becomes increasingly clear that the main obstacle to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was not their ambition, but rather their operationalization. Data from the Observatory of SDGs in Portuguese Companies help clarify this challenge and reveal an incomplete transition between conceptual recognition and strategic integration.
Among Large Companies, the lack of knowledge about the SDGs decreased by 44% over four years, signaling a consolidation of their legitimacy. However, the lack of knowledge about how to operationalize them increased by 19%, showing that the challenge has shifted from understanding to implementation. At the same time, the perception that the SDGs are distant from business language grew by more than 250%, and the percentage of companies that do not identify business opportunities increased by 80%. These figures reveal a paradox: the SDGs are now more widely known, but not necessarily more integrated into corporate strategies.
Among SMEs, the main barriers are associated with lack of knowledge and scarcity of resources. Although the general lack of knowledge about the SDGs decreased by 36% and the perception of a lack of business opportunities fell by 57%, the difficulty of operationalization increased slightly by 3%, remaining the primary barrier. These data show that, for SMEs, the challenge goes beyond understanding the SDGs and includes having greater technical capacity and resources to operationalize and report on them effectively.
This challenge was confirmed in interviews conducted by the Observatory, as some companies acknowledged that, because the SDGs are not mandatory, they were at times relegated to second place in favor of regulatory requirements. This reality may, however, change. The emergence of new frameworks, such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which were maintained even after the approval of the amendments proposed in the Omnibus I package on February 26, makes it possible to integrate the SDGs into mandatory frameworks, enabling straightforward and effective alignment. The Observatory has already begun contributing to this process. The Year 4 Report, to be presented on March 20, 2026, at Católica-Lisbon SBE, includes practical tools that allow companies to map the SDGs against the ESRS.
In this context, the Post-2030 Agenda must be redefined with a focus, among other priorities, on reflecting on the capacity to integrate existing goals into business decision-making systems. The success of the new global agenda will depend on translating global principles into concrete metrics, incentives, and obligations. This topic will also be addressed at the aforementioned event.
It is with this ambition that the Observatory’s new cycle (2026–2029) will seek to bring the voice of the Portuguese business community to international discussions on the new Global Agenda at the United Nations. The future success of the SDGs depends on how they are operationalized and strategically integrated by organizations, becoming a true infrastructure for strategic decision-making.
The crucial role of companies is accompanied by growing legitimacy: according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, since 2021 businesses have been the institution people trust most to act competently and effectively, surpassing governments and the media.
This trust reflects a clear expectation of leadership from companies. After all, in a context in which 74 of the world’s 100 largest economies are companies, they will largely determine the real impact of the next Global Agenda.
Adriana Zani, Operations and Project Manager I Researcher Center for Responsible Business and Leadership at Católica-Lisbon SBE