Sustainability
Opinion Article
INVITED EDITOR
Editorial from
Luís Veiga Martins
Associate Dean for Community Engagement & Sustainable Impact at Nova SBE
November 16, 2022
12. Responsible consumption and production

12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
LEARN MORE

13. Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
LEARN MORE

A new decade full of challenges

Becoming the first continent in the neutral world is the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity of our times. Portugal was one of the first countries to answer this challenge by approving its 2050 roadmap.

A new decade full of challenges

Every new year is always an opportunity to carry to assess what has been done, what is still left to do,and what we set out to achieve in the future. Sometimes, we have this feeling that the year should have had a few more days to complete everything. However,this end-of-year has a special feel to it given that we are ending a decade and starting a new one that, once again, will be filled with different types of challenges.

From an environmental point of view, I leave it up to each one to make their own assessment of what happened in the last ten years and whether we are better or worse. I only share my satisfaction that, from the second half of the decade that is now coming to an end, a sense of urgency has finally emerged in solving a series of environmental challenges that, in the future, will continue to create excellent opportunities for economic and social development in Europe.

A set of decisions were taken by the European Union, which, despite being always debatable and subject to multiple analyzes, made the political will of our continent clear and both an example and a reference for the rest of the world.

The new decade kicks off, inspired by the European Green Deal announcement (European Ecological Package), which has a fundamental objective: achieve Europe's carbon neutrality in 2050. Becoming the first continent in the neutral world is the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity for our times. Portugal was one of the first countries to respond to this challenge by approving its 2050 roadmap.

In order for Europe to achieve such an important goal, a series of ambitious measures are being envisaged that will enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from a sustainable greentransition.

One of the European Commission's policy areas in this package is linked to industrial sustainability, which is based on the circular economy's principles complementing and reinforcing the plan that has been in force since the beginning of 2018.

A new action plan for the circular economy will help modernize the EU economy by presenting a "sustainable products" policy that will prioritize reducing and reusing materials before their recovery by recycling. Minimum requirements will be mandatory for the products placed on the market to avoid environmental damage.

These new objectives, associated with those that have already been approved, will lead us to aim for a decade with multiple challenges concerning waste management. In the end, any recyclable waste is not landfilled unless it is the most environmentally appropriate solution.

All biodegradable urban waste will be collected selectively or recovered by the consumer, and food waste is expected to be less than 50 % compared to 2015. 70 % of packaging waste will be recycled, all packaging will be reusable or recyclable, and 90 % of PET beverage packaging will already be collected. And perhaps we are close to having just 10 % of the waste produced in Europe being sent to landfill.

Investing in Research &Development will be of strategic importance to identify and test the best options without devaluing competitiveness. Our quality will also play an extremely important role.

The solutions to answer all the challenges that arise must be aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. For it to be reached, ambition is necessary. Hence the Secretary-General of the United Nations has defined this decade, which now begins as the Decade of Action. To this call, Europe and its Member States have said “present”!

 

This content was originally written in Portuguese and published in Cascais Municipality

Luís Veiga Martins
Associate Dean for Community Engagement & Sustainable Impact at Nova SBE
LEARN MORE
SHARE

Keep reading

A Plastic Island and Habits With No Turning Back… Or Will They?

The evidence of a growing problem that we persisted in ignoring has led to the growth of several measures and initiatives for 18 months, which is starting to change the statu quo. I am referring to marine litter. Luís Veiga Martins, Nova SBE's Chief Sustainability Officer, explores this further.

Four ideas to embed impact within an organisation

Professor at Nova SBE, António Miguel is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MAZE – decoding impact, an impact venture created by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2013, exclusively oriented to support and invest in solutions for social and environmental challenges. In this article, Professor António explores four principles guide to achieve impact at MAZE.

The phenomenon of “greenwashing” in European Business Schools: an exploratory study of student’s perceptions

Nova SBE Leadership for Impact Knowledge Center began a series of Master Thesis Showcase. This one was developed by Fluvia Iannotta, advised by our Associate Professor Adjunct Milton de Sousa.

Hey Homo Economicus – Are You Still Alive?

Sustainable start-ups kick off transformation and innovation towards sustainable development and system change. But who is the one behind the venture?

THE CHOICES OF

BOLD Leadership: Nova SBE's Innovative Program for Future Leaders

In an era defined by rapid change and global challenges, the question of what it takes to be an outstanding leader in the 21st century becomes increasingly crucial. Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) has stepped up to address this query with its groundbreaking initiative: BOLD – Be an Outstanding Leader. This senior manager training program not only equips participants with essential skills but also aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), emphasizing the role of leadership in creating positive societal impact.

Subscribe our weekly newsletter

By subscribing to the Nova SBE Role to Play newsletter, you can stay up-to-date on the latest articles posted on the website.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

We all have a role to play

We are on a mission to be a community dedicated to the development of talent and knowledge that impacts the world.

With just ten years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise. We want to take a stand and we are calling on our community to showcase how they are contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, whilst influencing more and more people to unravel their role to play.

Here, you will find four different ways your ideas can flourish, dialogue can be enhanced, and action can take place. You can choose one or all four, and Nova SBE will be there to support you all the way and guarantee tangible change.

We all have a role to play, and this is your way in.