Porto Business School vice-dean Patrícia Teixeira Lopes argues that in uncertain times, institutions must double down on sustainability and ensure it remains part of the core fabric of leadership education Keeping faith the
I n moments of economic pressure, geopolitical instability and political backlash, sustainability is often one of the first priorities to be reframed as “important, but not immediate”. We’ve witnessed this repeatedly in the past few years, with many sustainability initiatives at governments, businesses and higher education institutions undergoing a “relaxation”. For business schools, this is simply the wrong response. In fact, this is precisely the moment when the industry must stand strong and continue to champion sustainability. Today’s leaders are navigating inflation, technological acceleration, talent shortages, regulatory shifts, social fragmentation and climate risk simultaneously. In this time of profound disruption, sustainability must remain part of the core architecture of leadership education because it shapes organisations’ long-term resilience, legitimacy and competitiveness. A long-term commitment At Porto Business School (PBS), we see sustainability as a long-term institutional commitment. Our recently defined Sustainability Model was built around two central questions: what role can our institution play in advancing sustainability? How can it amplify both its direct and indirect impact? The model seeks to build distinctive institutional capabilities, providing strategic direction and a unifying framework for our sustainability agenda.
28 Ambition • ISSUE 3 • 2026
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