Sustainability in Portugal has ceased to be an exclusively environmental concern, becoming an economic, social, energy and security issue. Portugal has achieved significant progress, including the closure of coal electricity production, the expansion of renewable energy, improved water quality and advances in energy efficiency, habitat protection and the circular economy. The European Union has also established the European Green Deal with unprecedented environmental, climate and economic vision.
However, the article identifies deep contradictions in Portuguese sustainability. Despite emission reductions in some sectors, mobility remains dependent on cars and fossil fuels. Although circular economy is discussed, too many waste materials continue to be buried and resources wasted. Water management is postponed, biodiversity faces continuous pressure on land, coast, forests and natural ecosystems, and large short-term works predominate over planning and prevention.
The article proposes that Portugal should aim for carbon neutrality by 2045 or earlier, with fully renewable electricity, efficient buildings, people-centred cities, accessible public transport, regenerative agriculture, resilient forests, living rivers, a protected coast and a waste-reduction economy. Five essential measures are outlined: progressively abandon fossil fuels, plan territory according to climate adaptation and ecosystem protection, use taxation and public funds coherently, improve monitoring based on science and transparency, and involve citizens, local authorities, businesses and civil society in the transformation.
The author, Francisco Ferreira, writes on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of BCSD Portugal, highlighting that sustainability in Portugal requires moving from promise to practice, requiring vision, ambition, transparency, political courage and collective responsibility. He argues that investments in a sustainable future represent a guarantee of quality of life, competitiveness and social justice, not a cost to be avoided.
