Climate action in Portugal: Latest state of play

Summary:

The EU's binding climate and energy legislation for 2030 requires Member States to adopt national energy and climate plans (NECPs) covering the period 2021 to 2030. In October 2020, the European Commission published an assessment for each NECP. Portugal submitted its NECP in December 2019. More than half (57%) of Portuguese people expect national governments to tackle climate change.

Portugal generates 1.8 % of the EU's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2019, the carbon intensity of Portugal's economy was 22 % above the EU average, and fell at a slightly slower pace than the EU average over the 2005-2019 period. The transport sector reduced its emissions by 10.3 % between 2005 and 2019 and is the sector with the highest emissions, accounting for 26 % of Portuguese emissions in 2019. Energy sector emissions, accounting for 19 % of total emissions in 2019, fell by 50 % between 2005 and 2019 – the largest reduction in emissions of all sectors.

Under EU effort-sharing legislation for the 2013-2020 period, Portugal was allowed to increase its non-ETS GHG emissions by 1 %, compared with 2005, and never surpassed its allocated emissions The share of renewable energy sources in 2019 was 30.6 %. The country's 2030 target of a 47 % share is one of the highest in the EU, with a renewable energy in electricity target of 80 % by 2030.

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