The past two weeks in Portugal have been an unbelievable experience. Since writing my first blog, we moved cities to Porto, went on several tours, and just arrived back in the U.S. yesterday.??In my personal opinion, I enjoyed Porto more than Lisbon. While in Porto, we visited with Impetus, Amorim, and Quinta do Tedo Winery. All 3 of these companies had one particular characteristic in common, sustainability.
When comparing how companies in Portugal conduct business as opposed to American businesses, sustainability was a reoccurring theme. While talking with executives at Portuguese companies, each one of them stressed the importance of creating a product that is sustainable and not detrimental to the environment. The major difference in sustainability between American and Portuguese companies is the timing of their sustainability plans. American companies appear committed to sustainability for the future, but have set many goals to achieve it 10+ years out. In comparison, the sustainability goals for Portuguese companies appears to be right now, or in the present day.?
All in all, Portuguese and American companies operate to make money and meet a demand for consumers. Without either of these two driving factors, businesses would cease to exist. However, Portuguese companies appear more committed to sustainability, in their operations, than American companies right now.?