Lately, I have been approached by many professionals working in ESG and sustainability with the same concern: “I feel sustainability is losing prominence inside organizations, but I know it is the right path for the business. How can I demonstrate that to leadership?”
My answer is usually direct: we are living in a period of disinformation. The World Economic Forum itself identified misinformation and disinformation among the top global risks in this year’s Global Risks Report. And perhaps nowhere is this more visible than in the sustainability debate. Because if we look at the facts, companies have never invested so much in sustainability as they do today. Financial markets have never integrated sustainability so deeply into investment analysis, capital allocation and risk management. Sustainability teams are growing, regulations are expanding, investors are paying attention and companies are embedding sustainability into operations, innovation and strategy. So why does it suddenly feel like sustainability is “losing space”?
Part of the answer is illusion. We are surrounded by noise, polarization and narratives that amplify backlash far more than progress. But the second reason is actually positive: sustainability is no longer confined to one department or one report. It is becoming embedded across the organization: in financial risk management, operations, procurement, accounting, innovation, governance, marketing and long-term strategy. In other words, sustainability is becoming business. And that is precisely what many of us have been advocating for years. The paradox is that, the more integrated sustainability becomes, the less visible it sometimes appears as a standalone topic. Yet this integration represents maturity, not decline.
At the same time, however, many companies are genuinely struggling to navigate this transition. Across Europe, sustainability discussions are increasingly dominated by regulation, compliance requirements and short-term pressures. While these elements are important, there is also a growing risk that organizations lose sight of the broader strategic opportunity behind sustainability: the possibility to rethink business models, strengthen competitiveness and build more resilient economies. That is precisely why spaces for informed and practical dialogue between business, finance, academia and policymakers have become so important. This is the context in which Lisbon Sustainability Week will take place from June 29 to July 2 in Lisbon. Organized by CATÓLICA-LISBON, the event aims to create a platform for debate, collaboration and practical action around some of the most pressing sustainability challenges facing organizations today. Bringing together international experts such as John Elkington and Robert F. Engle, alongside corporate leaders, investors, academics and civil society representatives, the initiative reflects a growing recognition: sustainability can no longer be addressed in isolation or purely through theory. It must be integrated into the strategic decisions shaping the future of business and society. For that, we need both discussion and action.
One of the most anticipated moments of the week will be the morning of June 30, dedicated to the intersection between sustainability, competitiveness and business transformation. The programme will feature John Elkington, widely recognized for introducing the concept of the Triple Bottom Line more than three decades ago. At a time when companies are increasingly challenged to balance economic performance with environmental and social impact, Elkington’s thinking feels more relevant than ever. His work helped shape the idea that business success cannot be measured exclusively through financial performance, but also through the value companies create for society and the planet. The discussions throughout the day will be focused on sustainable investment, business models, competitiveness and risk management. It will reflect a broader transition already taking place across global markets: sustainability is moving from the margins of organizations to the center of strategic decision-making. The day will conclude with a keynote by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert F. Engle, whose work on financial risk and volatility has become increasingly relevant in today’s uncertain global landscape.
The conversation will continue on July 1 through a series of main-stage sessions and side events focused on some of the next frontiers of sustainable business: the transition from climate ambition to nature-positive action, the Blue Economy and the business case for SDG 14, the SDG Meetings promoted by the Observatory of the SDGs in Portuguese Companies, and the 2nd Impact Accounting Conference Portugal. These discussions reflect an important evolution in the sustainability agenda: moving from awareness to implementation, from ambition to execution.
At a moment when Europe debates its future competitiveness and businesses navigate growing uncertainty, perhaps the most important conversations are those capable of bringing together different sectors, perspectives and areas of expertise around practical solutions. That is what Lisbon Sustainability Week aims to contribute to. Not by presenting sustainability as a parallel agenda to business, but by reinforcing the idea that the future of competitiveness, innovation and long-term economic resilience will increasingly depend on how effectively organizations respond to the environmental and social transitions already underway.
The real question, therefore, is no longer about the costs of sustainability. It is about the cost of failing to address it.
Have a great and impactful week!
Filipa Pires de Almeida, Executive Director – Center for Responsible Business and Leadership