Government boosts climate action policy

The Government will boost the climate action policies with the ambition of being carbon neutral by 2050, while attempting to bring that target forward to 2045. In a context where Portugal is emerging as one of the European Union countries with the best climate performance, the Government programme will include measures to speed up decarbonisation, fostering a future economy.

On the day when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to not accept the claim filed by a group of six Portuguese youths during the previous Government’s term in office, the now Government has stated its commitment to take on Climate Action as one of its priorities. "This decision has not diminished our ambition and our responsibility towards Climate Action. A significant legislative level has been made on a European and national level on this level. Portugal has ambitious targets with regard to reducing GHG emissions, wishing to be carbon neutral by 2045, five years before the targets set by the EU", stressed Graça Carvalho, Minister of Environment and Energy. 

This is a commitment represented in the Government programme, which envisages a wide set of measures to contribute to decarbonisation, while generating wealth and fostering a future economy.

The Government priorities include:

·       Hilding themed Councils of Ministers on Climate Action

·       Materialising on what is set in the Climate Basis Law

·       Operationalising the Climate Action Council

·       Reviewing the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC 2030)

·       Transposing and implementing the directives in the European Green Deal

·       New measures to adapt to climate change, for instance, in the coastal areas, including a new generation of plans. 

Measures that will help with meeting the European targets, with which Portugal is aligned, yet which also include improving performance in reducing emissions in the transport sector, which have increased in the last few years due to a less effective strategy in mobility.