Sofia Santos is an accomplished sustainability expert and CEO of Systemic, a consultancy firm specializing in sustainable finance and ESG frameworks. With 27 years of professional experience across banks, companies, NGOs, and the public sector, Sofia has developed a unique expertise in green finance, sustainable energy, and the circular economy. She began her career in 1997 at Merrill Lynch in London and later returned to Portugal to work for organizations like Reuters, Bloomberg, and CELPA. In 2004, she founded Sustentare, a sustainability-focused consultancy, and later, in 2013, she established Systemic, expanding her work to Angola, Cabo Verde, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau.

 

Her significant roles include being General Secretary of BCSD Portugal and a specialist in Sustainable Finance at the Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition. Currently, Sofia advises the Green Climate Fund for the Africa region, the French Development Agency, World Bank, FCDO and other global institutions on climate finance.

​

Her main skills include sustainable finance project development, green bond frameworks, circular economy strategies, and ESG reporting. Sofia also teaches sustainable finance courses at ISEG and is the author of seven books, three of which focus on sustainable finance.

 

Languages: Portuguese (native), English (excellent), Spanish (good).
Publications: Seven books on sustainability and finance.
Current Research: Sustainable finance and ESG reporting at ISEG.