Andreia Fernandes, our esteemed Country Manager at EIT InnoEnergy Portugal, has been honored as one of the 20 Portuguese personalities selected by Expresso Newspaper in Portugal and Supported by EDP, to spearhead the transition to a more sustainable world highlighting her remarkable journey.

Last week, during the ceremony that reunited all the awarded leaders, all made statements during the debate on the opportunities and challenges of decarbonization. Andreia Fernandes highlighted that ‘we will need to have a better capacity for information and communication so that people understand what it means to be sustainable’.

There is no transition to a sustainable world without information, but it is also impossible to achieve international goals without the support of technology and science. Andreia Fernandes, our Portuguese Country Manager, firmly believes in the importance of empowering people and companies to be agents of change.

“I work daily with startups. We are the largest investor in technological innovation in clean energy in the world,” she says in the interview with Expresso.

“In my view, sustainability and the empowerment of people involve them contributing and understanding why they will have a solar panel at home and what they can gain from it.”

But more than creating new ways of performing old tasks in any sector, it is important that innovation is put at the service of the economy and society—and Andreia Fernandes has been able to do so, either through close work with municipalities or with the industry. Perhaps for this reason, knowing the best practices in Portugal and Europe, the Country Manager of InnoEnergy in Portugal declares herself “optimistic” about the state of the planet at the end of this decade.

“I see 2030 with a more sustainable world. The path is sustainability, and I believe we will have a mass adoption of renewable energies,” she foresees, highlighting the country’s potential in solar, wind, and hydroelectric production. However, she acknowledges that there are challenges to overcome to achieve environmental goals—particularly concerning people and businesses.

The Leaders of Transition project, by Expresso with the support of EDP, has selected 20 Portuguese personalities with a remarkable journey in the sustainability path. Expresso published their stories, journeys, and ambitions to encourage the transition to a more sustainable future.