Public Consultation: Social Climate Plan to guarantee a just and inclusive transition

• The Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion and the Ministry of Environment and Energy worked together to draft the Social Climate Fund, funded 75% by the European Union and 25% nationally.

• The Climate Social Fund will assist the more vulnerable groups with investments in energy efficiency, renewable energies, building rehabilitation, and sustainable mobility.

• National public consultation runs until 18 November: citizens, households, micro-enterprises, and organisations can take part on Participa.pt and contribute to a more just and effective plan.

Offsetting the effect of the future tax on carbon in buildings and transportation

The Climate Social Plan has begun its public consultation stage; this is a pivotal instrument of the Portuguese just energy transition policy, which sets the measures to support households and micro-enterprises who are vulnerable concerning the carbon tax on buildings and road transportation sectors. The consultation will run until 18 November 2018 on the website Participa.pt. 

The Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, via the Development & Cohesion Agency (AD&C) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy via the Climate Agency, are charged with coordinating this plan, which sets the measures to be funded by the European Union Social Climate Fund. The aim is to support households, micro-enterprises and public transport users who are more vulnerable with regard to the energy and climate transition, ensuring no one is left behind.

Set up under the new EU Emissions Trading System, the Social Climate Fund seeks to offset the effects of the future taxes on carbon in buildings and road transportation sectors, encouraging the adoption of cleaner and more efficient energies. The Fund can reach up to1.6 billion euros and will remain in force from 2026 to 2032. 

"This Social Climate Plan shows the Government’s concern with environmental protection. Economic growth must be sustainable and involve the more vulnerable households, companies, and regions", stressed the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion Castro Almeida. 

"The Social Climate Plan is a pivotal part of our energy transition strategy. We want everyone, households, companies, and regions to have the conditions to take part in this change process, benefitting from its results", claimed the Minister of Environment and Energy Maria da Graça Carvalho. 

The Social Climate Plan is being drafted by an interministerial working group and has had the first stage of in-person public consultation with sessions held in Lisbon, Faro, Funchal, and Ponta Delgada. A new session is scheduled to be held in Porto on 20 October 2025. 

The consultation now under way seeks to collect contributions that boost efficacy in measures and ensure balanced and inclusive responses for the energy transition, fostering better quality of life and greater social and territorial cohesion.