The first edition of Lisbon Sustainability Week (LSW) begins today, June 16, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. This international event is dedicated to discussions on sustainability and sustainable finance. Organised by the Center for Sustainable Finance at CATÓLICA-LISBON, in partnership with Fundação Santander Portugal, LSW 2025 runs until June 18 and aims to foster a global discussion on the major challenges and solutions for a greener, more resilient and fairer economy.
The opening day features a keynote speech by Ernest Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Professor Emeritus at MIT, internationally renowned for his contributions to energy innovation, climate policy and nuclear security.
The international conference brings together business leaders, academics, policymakers and experts from world-leading institutions and universities to debate key sustainability challenges and present concrete solutions. The programme includes academic sessions, thematic workshops and roundtables designed to encourage knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary dialogue.
“The goal is for Lisbon Sustainability Week to position Lisbon as the European capital of the debate on sustainable finance and the transformation of economic models. This first edition brings to Portugal some of the most influential global voices, reinforcing CATÓLICA-LISBON’s mission to lead the transition towards a more sustainable economy. The strong turnout, with over 600 registered participants, confirms the relevance of this discussion and the growing importance of sustainability in economic and political decision-making”, says Filipe Santos, Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON.
The first day focuses on the role of natural sciences and accounting in the sustainability agenda. The opening session features Filipe Santos, Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON, and Inês Rocha from Fundação Santander Portugal.
In the morning, the first session of the Accounting Conference features academic presentations from researchers affiliated with Boston University, IESE, University of Southern California and MIT, addressing topics such as transition risks and the impact of mandatory regulation on sustainable disclosure practices.
In the afternoon, the second session of the accounting conference showcases research from Harvard Business School, the University of Maryland and the University of Miami, focusing on the effects of climate policies and the commitments of the Paris Agreement. Concurrently, two workshops take place: one on climate models, led by Pedro M. M. Soares (University of Lisbon), and another on natural capital and biodiversity, led by Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira, CEO of Natural Business Intelligence.
The day concludes with a keynote speech by Ernest Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Professor Emeritus at MIT. Another highlight is the panel discussion with Richard Sloan (USC) and Arne Staal (CEO of FTSE Russell), moderated by Ana Albuquerque (Boston University).
On June 17, the focus shifts to challenges and solutions in finance and environmental economics. The morning session of the Finance Conference features speakers such as Lucian A. Taylor (Wharton School), Neng Wang (Cheung Kong GSB), and Susana Campos Martins (UCP), who will address topics including carbon pricing, climate risks in economic development, and practical approaches to financial sustainability.
In the afternoon, the discussion turns to topics such as executive compensation in the ESG context and shareholder engagement, with contributions from Mariassunta Giannetti (Stockholm School of Economics), Kai Li (University of British Columbia), and Per Strömberg (Stockholm School of Economics). Workshops in the afternoon explore carbon markets and externalities, led by Theresa Bodner (MSCI), and financial risks of climate change, led by Anthony Lazanas (Bloomberg).
The keynote closing the day is delivered by Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Honorary President of the Club of Rome, a specialist in climate policy, sustainable development and green finance, with over 35 years of experience supporting the global transition.
The final day, June 18, centres on regulation, financing, and the transformation of business models in the context of transition.
The morning begins with the 2025 ESG Annual Conference organised by the Portuguese Institute for Corporate Governance (IPCG), in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Finance at CATÓLICA-LISBON, Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC. João Moreira Rato, President of IPCG, will introduce the key topics: the evolution of business models, sustainable finance, and new regulatory requirements. The programme includes three roundtables: the first on transforming business models during the transition, featuring leaders from BRISA Group, EY, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC and Bondalti; the second on key challenges in financing climate transition, with insights from experts from Secil, CGD and PwC; and the third on the current state of regulation and reporting, with representatives from CMVM and the Bank of Portugal.
In the afternoon, the debate continues with two complementary sessions. The first focuses on public policy and behavioural changes necessary for a sustainable transition, with interventions by Assunção Cristas (Universidade Nova), former Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning, Linda-Eling Lee (MSCI Sustainability Institute), and Shiva Dustdar (European Investment Bank Institute), in a conversation moderated by Cristina Melo Antunes (Banco Santander Portugal). The second session focuses on climate transition financing, bringing together experts from globally respected institutions: Giuseppe Davide Barillà (European Central Bank), Patricia Torres Leandro (Bloomberg), Augusto Caro (Santander Asset Management), and Katharina Schwaiger (BlackRock), moderated by Christian Heller (Value Balancing Alliance).
The closing session of this first edition of Lisbon Sustainability Week will be delivered by Miguel Belo de Carvalho, Executive Board Member at Banco Santander Totta, and António Baldaque da Silva, Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Finance at CATÓLICA-LISBON.
Lisbon Sustainability Week is an initiative of the Center for Sustainable Finance at CATÓLICA-LISBON, founded with the support of Fundação Santander Portugal, with a mission to mobilise and accelerate the sustainable transition. Partners for this first edition include institutions such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Climate Econometrics Group from the University of Oxford, and the Portuguese Institute for Corporate Governance (IPCG), which, together with Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC, integrate their Annual ESG Conference into this initiative.