Let's get greener! by Isabela Rocha ( ENSINUS ETP/ INETE)

The importance of sustainability is the idea of ​​using nature to meet the needs of society.  So we have to preserve the environment to guarantee its existence for the next generations.  

The environment has been badly damaged for some years, with fires, pollution, deforestation ... And it is up to us human beings to solve this problem.  Like, for example, planting trees, conserving rivers, doing recycling, not polluting the air etc ...It is  important to at least do the minimum to help the environment. We should start inside the house, separating the garbage for recycling, reducing the use of water, preferring to use electric cars  instead of conventional ones, among others.

Nowadays there are many causes for taking care of the environment, for example the "Tree Day" celebrated on the 21st of March, in order to make people aware of respecting the preservation of the good of nature.  So if everyone does their part, we will take care of our home and guarantee comfort in our own home too.

Evolution of corporate debt in 2020 by Fátima Afonso ( ENSINUS ETP/ INETE)

 Evolution of corporate debt in 2020 

In this article, I intend to address the topic of the evolution of the debts of Portuguese companies in 2020 compared to 2019 due to the pandemic, highlighting certain factors of activity.

In 2020, corporate debt grew 1.6% compared to 2019 due to the pandemic.

The sector of activity stands out the growth of the debt of the industrial sector and the sector of commerce, accommodation and restaurants in 8.6% and 7.4%, respectively.

Many of the companies and commerce had to close down because they did not have the chance to continue their business due to lack of customers.  Conversely, the debts of the electricity, gas and water sector decreased by 11.9%.

If we look at it closely, companies that present the highest annual growth in indebtedness, with an increase of 8.6% in 2020, are small and medium-sized ones.

The evolution of corporate debt is being measured using the annual rate of change, excluding the impact of changes that have not been motivated by previous transactions.