Porto to get more ambitious with its climate goals

The City Council mulls the idea of joining the Green City Accord, among other things

Two climate target proposals will be put to consideration and debate at the municipal executive meeting on 6 December in Porto (Portugal). The first concerns getting behind the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy when the said network starts reviewing its goals to better align with those of the EU, namely achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The other has to do with applying to join another key European initiative – the Green City Accord.

Both of these proposals are put forward by Filipe Araújo, the local Councilor for the Environment and Climate Transition, who is confident that the city has already chosen the right track in its environmental development. But it now needs to show even more ambition.

Carbon neutrality even before 2050

The Covenant of Mayors position renewal will encourage the signatories of the pact to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and, in the long term, to commit to climate neutrality by 2050.

Filipe Araújo is of the opinion that Porto should also commit to the Green City Accord.  This voluntary movement of European cities aims to transform them into attractive places to live by 2030 by improving air quality, the quality of water bodies, increasing green areas, improving management practices, and significantly reducing noise pollution and waste output.

The measures that have been adopted by Porto give rise to more ambitious commitments underlines Councilor Araújo: “The latest balance of emissions indicates that Porto has managed to reduce around 46% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, with 2004 as the reference year, thus surpassing the target assumed in 2008 when it first signed up to the Covenant of Mayors.”

“Based on the data from the Porto Energy Agency, if the current route is maintained, it is expected to reach a reduction of 60% by 2030, although the Municipality is making efforts and working with a vast network of stakeholders for a mobilization around the objective of reaching carbon neutrality before the 2050 horizon”, adds the proposal document.