Beyond business as usual: Portuguese enterprises in the age of sustainability megatrends

Abstract

The unprecedented combination of social, environmental and economic challenges, known as the sustainability megatrends, has led to widespread sustainability-driven change across society. These megatrends are having a significant impact across the political, economic and environmental dimensions and are expected to have lasting effects over the coming decades. As a result, organisations are increasingly faced with the need to adapt and manage these transformative forces in order to remain relevant and competitive. This study focusses on Portuguese organisations and their response to sustainability megatrends. A qualitative research methodology, followed by a secondary data set of 101 interviews, revealed that the megatrends are highly relevant for Portuguese organisations. While the majority of organisations are currently implementing sustainable practices in their business strategy and adapting production to become more sustainable, it is evident that there is still progress to be made in order to fully integrate sustainability into their business model.