Portuguese Companies Fail at Waste Management: Nextbitt Can Help 

The ESG maturity study carried out by Jornal de Negócios and Deloitte reveals that many Portuguese companies are failing in waste management and natural resource efficiency.  

The study "The Environment, Social and Governance in Portuguese Companies: Portrait of Sustainability 2023", published in May 2024, was designed to provide a detailed overview of how Portuguese companies are integrating ESG practices into their operations and strategies.  

In terms of Waste Management: Companies have a low level of maturity in the Pollution and Waste and Nature and Natural Resources themes, with 46% of companies at the lowest level of maturity in Pollution and Waste.

Nextbitt offers solutions that help organizations solve several of the problems identified in this study, helping companies to significantly improve their sustainability practices.

Nextbitt Solutions for Waste and Natural Resources Management

Improving Environmental Management: Pollution and Waste and Nature and Natural Resources

Waste Management

• Monitoring and Reducing Waste: Nextbitt enables detailed monitoring of waste generation. Companies can define and monitor KPIs and implement strategies based on them.

• Promoting the Circular Economy: The platform offers a holistic solution that monitors, regulates and optimizes the life cycle of waste, maximizing the reuse of materials and encouraging circular economy practices.

Energy Management

• Resource efficiency: With Nextbitt, companies can develop resource efficiency plans, optimizing energy, gas and water consumption. This tool makes it possible to reduce energy costs by around 10% by monitoring and rationally using resources and energy, detecting anomalies in good time and optimizing performance.

Environmental Management:  

• Environmental Impact Assessment: The Nextbitt platform offers functionalities to assess and mitigate the impact of organizations' operations by enabling the measurement, management and reduction of carbon emissions effectively, thus contributing to meeting global environmental targets and legal compliance. ‍

Improving Social Practices: Health and Well-Being

Employee health and well-being

• Healthy Working Environment: Nextbitt's solutions help to monitor and improve working conditions, promoting the health and well-being of employees, ensuring safe and comfortable environments, monitoring indicators such as temperature, light and air quality in real time and on an ongoing basis.

Key insights from the ESG Maturity Study.

The study assessed companies on various topics and subtopics within ESG, including:

1. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Diversity, equity and inclusion practices in companies.

2. Health and Well-Being: Health and well-being initiatives for employees.

3. Climate Change: Actions to mitigate climate change.

4. Communities: Involvement and impact on local communities.

5. Nature and Natural Resources: Management and conservation of natural resources.

6. Pollution and Waste: Pollution and waste management practices.

7. Compliance, Communication & Governance: Compliance, communication and governance practices.

8. Enabling Capabilities: Capabilities that facilitate the effective implementation of ESG practices.

The Deloitte Green Maturity Matrix was used to determine the level of ESG maturity of companies. This matrix classifies the maturity of companies into four levels, according to established criteria:

• Understanding: Lowest level, where companies have a basic understanding of ESG concepts^.1

• Developing: Companies that are developing ESG practices and policies, but have not yet fully implemented them^.2

• Performing: Companies that have well-established ESG practices and implement them consistently^.3

• Leading: The highest level, where companies are leaders in ESG practices, with a complete and advanced integration of these principles into their operations.

According to this matrix, the maturity study identified several areas where Portuguese companies need to improve.

• Waste Management: Companies have a low level of maturity in the Pollution and Waste and Nature and Natural Resources themes, with 46% of companies at the lowest level of maturity in Pollution and Waste.

• Social Practices: Companies show greater maturity in issues related to the health and well-being of employees, but 32% are still at the lowest levels of maturity in practices to support the surrounding communities.

• Governance: The companies show average maturity, but 29% are in the lowest grades.

Overall results:

The companies assessed showed a higher level of maturity in Social issues, with an average rating of Leading. In terms of Environmental and Governance aspects, the companies have an average rating of Performing.

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Environmental conclusions:

The greatest opportunity for improvement in the Environmental area of the companies analyzed is in the area of Pollution and Waste.  

Although companies have a greater degree of maturity on the subject of climate change, the results show that:

• 46% of companies have the lowest level of maturity(Understanding) in Pollution and Waste.

• 31% of companies have the lowest level of maturity in Nature and Natural Resources.

Social Conclusions:

The greatest opportunity for improvement in the Social area of the companies analyzed is in the Communities theme. The results show that:

• On average, companies show a greater degree of maturity when it comes to issues related to the health and well-being of their employees.

• 32% of companies are at the two lowest levels of maturity(Understanding & Developing) in their practices of supporting the surrounding communities.

Conclusions Governance:

The greatest opportunity for improvement in the Governance area of the companies analyzed is in the Enabling Capabilities theme. The results indicate that:

• The companies show, on average, a higher degree of maturity(Leading) on issues related to the Compliance, Communication & Governance subtopic.

• In the Enabling Capabilities subtopic, 29% of the responding companies are at the lowest levels of maturity(Understanding & Developing).

Summary:

This study provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of the current state of ESG practices in large Portuguese companies. The results indicate significant progress, but also reveal areas where companies need to step up their efforts to achieve full ESG maturity.  

The companies analyzed have, on average, a Performing maturity in Environmental (E) and Governance (G) issues, and Leading in Social (S) issues.

The topics where there are the greatest opportunities for improvement are:

• Environmental: Pollution and Waste and Nature and Natural Resources

• Social: Communities  

• Governance: Enabling Capabilities(Procurement & Finance)

Based on these insights, it is hoped that Portuguese companies will continue to want to understand, adopt and evolve more robust ESG practices, contributing to a more sustainable and balanced future.

Nextbitt's solutions are crucial for companies to respond effectively to efficiency and sustainability challenges. With advanced management tools, Nextbitt facilitates the implementation of sustainable practices, helping companies to meet and exceed their ESG objectives.

By adopting Nextbitt's solutions, companies not only improve their ESG performance, but also strengthen their resilience and competitiveness in the market, preparing for future regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations.  

Nextbitt is therefore an essential strategic partner for the sustainable transformation of companies.  

Schedule a meeting and find out about the most suitable solutions for your company.

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Methodological Framework of the Study:

_{The study methodology was based on an online questionnaire.}

_{Universe: The study covered a total of 120 entities, selected to represent a wide range of sectors and dimensions in the Portuguese business landscape.}

_{Sample: Valid responses were obtained from 42 entities, constituting a significant sample for the analysis of ESG maturity in the Portuguese business context. These 42 entities belong to different sectors, ensuring a diverse representation of the national economy.}

_{Sectors represented in the sample:}

_{1. Financial Services}

_{2. Life Sciences & Health Care}

_{3. Government & Public Services}

_{4. Consumer}

_{5. Energy, Resources & Industrials}

_{6. Technology, Media & Telecommunications}

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References:

^{[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-green-skills-level-1.pdf}

^{[2] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-green-skills-level-2.pdf}

^{[3] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-green-skills-level-3.pdf}

^{[4] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-green-skills-level-4.pdf}

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