What is the Sustainability Observatory?
The Observatory is a center dedicated to the study, reflection and transfer of knowledge in the field of sustainability in the business sector, embracing three dimensions in an integrated manner:
- Economic sustainability: fostering successful business models.
- Social sustainability: bringing well-being to people.
- Environmental sustainability: respecting the planet.
Objectives
- To be a proactive applied research organization based on the principles of pluralism, autonomy and critical capacity.
- To develop projects that bring rationality to public debate and encourage action in public and private institutions.
- Systematically disseminate knowledge through activities and publications.
Team
The UPF-BSM Sustainability Observatory has a team of top-level researchers who combine academic excellence with professional experience. United by the interest in business sustainability, they embrace different fields of knowledge, from marketing to finance, including operations, technology, strategy or corporate social responsibility.
Oriol Montanyà
Director
Graduate in Sociology from the UAB, graduate in Journalism from the UPF and a doctorate in Economics and Business from the UVic.
Erola Palau
Coordinator
Graduate in International Business and Languages from the Rotterdam Business School, Master of Science in Management and Business Analytics from UPF-BSM.
Ana Freire
Researcher
Ramon Bastida
Researcher
Fàtima Vidal
Researcher
Luz Parrondo
Researcher
Mercè Roca
Researcher
Jordi Perramon
Researcher
Llorenç Bagur
Researcher
Andrei Boar
Researcher
News and Articles
We present a selection of articles and relevant news that deal with sustainability issues, with special emphasis on the news generated by the UPF Barcelona School of Management itself, but also being a small window to know that information of international scope that stands out for its relevance or innovative character.
Outstanding news
- Green entrepreneurship wins over investors
A large part of the companies around the world are already turning their strategy towards sustainable and recycled products and betting on renewable energies to meet the demands of the planet and investors.
- A UPF-BSM study values the economic, social and environmental impact of TMB at 2,400 MEUR a year
The activity of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the public organisation that manages the metro and bus network in the city of Barcelona, generates an overall value of 2,395.6 million euros per year for Catalonia, 6.5 times more than what it costs.
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Why is the current 'ecommerce' model not sustainable? The evolution of consumption habits and advances in technology have caused electronic commerce to register double-digit growth in recent years. The world is seeing how the distribution of goods gains a lot of presence and relevance, which is why it should be a sustainable practice.
- Alternative and sustainable mobility in Barcelona: shall we say goodbye to the car?
Awareness on sustainability has grown in recent years as a result of the need to stop the overexploitation of resources to which we have become used to, and which have brought levels of pollution that guide us towards a point of no return. Of all this pollution, 13% –especially in large cities– comes from the private vehicle.
- Circular economy, beyond recycling
The concept of circular economy is increasingly present in our lives. Until recently, the linear production model - characterized by extraction, production and disposal - was the most applied, but it is reaching its limit.
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The UPF-BSM celebrates World Environmental Day with a Program of Environmental Sustainability
The UPF Barcelona School of Management joins the celebration of World Environment Day on June 5th organizing a Program of Environmental Sustainability: a series of activities that aim to strengthen the school's commitment to Planetary Wellbeing by actively involving the community.
Publications and Studies
This section offers a compilation of the most outstanding research papers published by researchers and consultants who are part of the UPF-BSM Sustainability Observatory.
- Montanyà, O.; Palau, E. (2022). L'impacte de la consultoria a Catalunya; Informe anual 2021. UPF-BSM
- Montanyà, O.; Palau, E. (2022). Perseguint el benestar planetari. Mirades transversals sobre la sostenibilitat. UPF-BSM.
- Roca, M., Ayuso, S., Bala, A., Colomé, R., & Fullana-i-Palmer, P. (2021). Evaluating the implementation of a packaging Deposit and Refund System in Catalonia. Two surveys on citizenship's expected behaviour. Science of The Total Environment, 150640.
- Montanyà, O.; Palau, E. (2021). Distribución urbana de mercancías sostenible. Para una mejora económica, ambiental y social.
- Amat, O.; Palau, E. (2021). Estudi d’impacte econòmic, social i mediambiental. El cas de TMB.
- Boar, A.; Bastida, R.; Marimon, F. A Systematic Literature Review. Relationships between the Sharing Economy, Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability, 2020
- Belz, F.; Galí, JM.; Peattie, K. Marketing de Sostenibilidad: Una perspectiva global. Profit Editorial, 2013
- Bagur-Femenias, L.; Llach, J.; Mar Alonso‐Almeida, M. Is the adoption of environmental practices a strategical decision for small service companies? An empirical approach. Management Decision, 2013
- Bagur-Femenias, L.; Celma, D.; Patau, J. The Adoption of Environmental Practices in Small Hotels. Voluntary or Mandatory? An Empirical Approach. Sustainability, 2016
- Alonso-Almeida, MM.; Bagur-Femenías, L.; Perramon, J.; Rodríguez-Antón, JM. Sustainable development and circular economy: The role of institutional promotion on circular consumption and market competitiveness from a multistakeholder engagement approach. Business Strategy and the Environment, 2020
- Alonso-Almeida, MM.; Bagur-Femenías, L.; Llach, J.; Perramon, J. Sustainability in small tourist businesses: the link between initiatives and performance. Current Issues in Tourism, 2018
- Alonso-Almeida, MM.; Bagur-Femenías, L.; Llach, J.; Perramon, J. Women managers and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Spain: Perceptions and divers. Women's Studies International Forum, 2015
- Alonso‐Almeida, MM.; Buil‐Fabregà, M.; Bagur‐Femenías, L.; Aznar‐Alarcón, J. P Shedding Light on Sustainable Development and Stakeholder Engagement: The Role of Individual Dynamic Capabilities. Sustainable Development, 2017.
- Bagur-Femenías, L.; Buil-Fábrega, M; Aznar, JP. Teaching digital natives to acquire competences for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2020
- Vicent, L. Educació, investigació i internacionalització en les societats en vies de transformació.
Aspectos micro y macroeconómicos para sistemas sociales en transformación. Real Academia de Ciencias Económicas y Financieras, 2013. - López-Villena, O. L'empresari proactiu: Millora els teus resultats ajudant als teus clients. Profit Editorial, 2017
Research Projects
Business experience and academic knowledge are two great allies to advance in the path of economic, social and environmental sustainability. That is why our Observatory acts as an effective bridge between corporate needs and scientific rigor, developing research projects that promote action and improvement of our environment.
Cambra de comerç de Lleida
Quantification and causes of relocation of companies in Lleida
ACEC Consultores Catalunya
Study on the economic and social impact of consulting companies in Catalonia
Ametller Origen
Towards a more sustainable supply chain
Fundació Naturgy
Study of good practices in sustainable urban freight distribution
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona
Study on the value of the social and economic impact of TMB
Nestlé
Challenge sponsored by Nestlé: 3D printing to improve industrial processes
Teaching
The compilation of the courses we offer at UPF-BSM revolves around the three axes of sustainability: economic, environmental and social.
Online Master in Scientific, Medical, and Environmental Communication.
Communication, Journalism and Translation Area.
Directed by: Gemma Revuelta and Carolina Llorente.
The Online Master in Scientific, Medical, and Environmental Communication prepares you to generate and transmit scientific knowledge, and ideas and opportunities that are derived from its application and from associated technologies.
Master's Degree in Public and Social Policy.
Law, Politics, and Public Management Area.
Directed by: José Manuel Martínez-Sierra, Rodrigo Cetina Presuel, Mònica Clua and the Steering Committee formed by J. Benach, D. Steinwachs, M. Clua, K. Pollack and S. Sarasa.
The Master's Degree in Public and Social Policy, taught in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, provides the training and tools necessary to develop responses to current social needs. Through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary training, the programme aims to train professionals capable of responding to social needs and solving all kinds of social problems.
Postgraduate Course in Total Supply Chain Management.
Business Administration and Management Area.
Directed by: Oriol Montanyà.
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of supply chains within the framework of business strategy, showing that a good part of the solidity of a business rests on the quality of the mechanisms that have to guarantee the supply of products or services, both under normal conditions and in exceptional situations.
Postgraduate in Management of Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR).
Business Administration and Management Area.
Directed by: Susana Domingo, Ester Oliveras, and Xavier Carbonell.
The main objective is to train professionals who can generate value in the business environment and in society, working for a global, sustainable, and inclusive economy.
Postgraduate in Management Development in Sustainable Business.
Business Administration and Management Area.
Directed by: Marcos Eguiguren Huerta, Mónica Pérez Clausen, Jaime Batlle Segura, and Francesc Mayné.
The Postgraduate in Management Development in Sustainable Business trains managers and executives of organizations whose responsibility is to generate value in the environment of the Green Transition, one of the central pillars of sustainability.
A new city model: Smart City.
Creativity and Technology Area.
Directed by: Carles Martín.
New technologies are producing radical changes in urban centres. We need to plan and design strategies that allow us to achieve more liveable and sustainable cities.
Sustainability Marketing.
Marketing and Branding Area.
Directed by: Josep Maria Galí.
Management incorporating a vision of economic, environmental, and social sustainability has become an obligation for all companies in order to be competitive.