The environmental association Zero warned that the eight million euros planned for the Program of Action for Resilience and Restoration of Nature in Urban Areas (Pro Nat.urbe) may result in "green cosmetics," due to the lack of mandatory requirements and transparent criteria. The first grants are intended for seven Portuguese municipalities — Beja, Celorico da Beira, Évora, Guimarães, Leiria, São João da Madeira, and Vila Real — for pilot projects on ecosystem restoration in urban areas.
The program, which aims to strengthen green spaces in cities, promote adaptation to climate change, and improve quality of life, sets targets such as no loss of urban green space by 2030 and growth of these spaces from 2031 onward. Zero had already identified structural weaknesses when the program was under public consultation in May.
One of Zero's main criticisms is that the program only refers to the "preferential" use of native trees, when the mandatory and exclusive use of native tree, shrub, and herbaceous species should be a requirement for any funded intervention. The association also warns that without a maximum cost ceiling per square meter, scarce resources may be channeled to expensive solutions with low ecological return.
Zero also points out that the green space area metric may increase without a single tree being planted, since territories classified as "urban space" include active agricultural lands. The association demands that the prohibition of herbicide use be a prerequisite for granting funds, and not merely a recommendation.
