On December 3rd, GRACE's General Assembly was held to present and approve the Action Plan and Budget for 2026.

As usual, we were welcomed into an Associate's home and, in what was the last AGM of 2025, EY Portugal welcomed the team, governing bodies and Associates to the Lisbon offices. We were welcomed by Norma Franco, representing EYIn her speech at the GRACE General Assembly, Norma Franco thanked everyone for attending and expressed her pleasure at hosting the meeting, reinforcing her commitment to building more sustainable and resilient businesses. Norma Franco emphasized that this work is carried out in collaboration with other entities, defending the idea that it is through joint effort that a more confident future is shaped. As a GRACE member, she affirms EY's active role in a transformative journey that drives resilience and a positive impact on the business fabric.

After the welcome, Nuno Pinto de Magalhães, Chairman of the General Meeting on behalf of Sociedade Central de Cervejas, opened the General Meeting and then gave the floor to Isabel Barros, President of GRACE Responsible Companies, representing Sonae SGPS. 2025 was a landmark year for GRACE, with the celebration of its 25th anniversary, but equally challenging given the global political and geopolitical context, which brought setbacks and pressures on the sustainability agenda. Even so, the association maintained its strategic course and strengthened its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Among the priorities were anticipating trends to make them actionable, supporting the journey of Members and their value chains, influencing public policies, and focusing on generating a positive impact on the environment and society. Isabel Barros also stressed the importance of consolidating the Knowledge Center and the important work of the Clusters, which involved more than 104 organizations in the production of practical tools, as well as the presence at the COP and the contribution to the revision of the law on volunteering strengthened GRACE's role in the national strategic debate.

Active consultation with Members resulted in the reformulation of the value proposition, closer ties with the business community and territorial and sectoral expansion, sustaining growth to 379 members - making GRACE the largest national association dedicated to sustainability. Isabel Barros also highlighted a special milestone: the launch of the coin commemorating GRACE's 25th anniversary, by the National Press - Casa da Moeda, symbolically shared with the four founding companies - BP, FLAD, McDonalds and Xerox, present at this General Assembly.

Maria João Simões de Almeida (Executive Director) and Teresa Themudo recalled the strategic axes for the 2024 - 2026 Triennium, also reviewing the year 2025, and presented the strategic priorities for 2026, with emphasis on collaborative projects that influence discussions and public policies and that promote and support the creation of positive impacts, through the various areas of GRACE's activity: Collaboration and Influence, Knowledge and Transformation, Responsible Citizenship and Marketing and Communication.. João Bruno da Costa, GRACE Treasurer representing Trivalor, together with Maria João Simões de Almeida, presented the budget proposal for 2026. The two voting points were unanimously approved by the 196 Associates present at EY, at RAR Açúcar in Porto, and online.

It was, as always, a morning full of special moments, where there was also the opportunity to pay tribute to the Members who will be celebrating 10 and 20 years as GRACE members in 2025.

One of these moments was the intervention of Conceição ZagaloShe was one of the founders of GRACE, and with emotion and a sense of belonging, she expressed pride in recalling the association's early years, marked by effort, uncertainty and strategic construction, from an initial nucleus of just five companies. She highlighted the impressive evolution of GRACE, which went from 26 to 100 Members during her mandate and which, after 25 years, has reached the milestone of 379 Responsible Companies, representing growth far beyond what she had ever imagined. With the affection of a "mother" watching her "child" grow up, she thanked the association, its community and the way in which they remain large, ambitious and inspiring, reaffirming her desire to continue to be present and witness the future of the organization.

Our thanks to EY and RAR Sugar for hosting this meeting and to all the Members who continue to make these meetings unique and special moments.