Resolution no 107/2019 of the Council of Ministers approving the Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality of the Portuguese Economy in 2050

This resolution approves the Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality of the Portuguese Economy in 2050. This Strategy also constitutes the document being sent to the UNFCCC according to Portugal's international commitments. The document materialises the government's 2016 pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of the period. The strategy explores the feasibility of trajectories that lead to carbon neutrality, identifies the main vectors of decarbonisation and estimates the reduction potential of the various sectors of the national economy, such as energy and industry, mobility and transport , agriculture, forests and other land uses, and waste and wastewater.

The resolution sets as an objective, for the purposes of the previous number, the reduction of GHG emissions for Portugal between 85% and 90% by 2050, compared to 2005, and the compensation of the remaining emissions through the use of soil and forests, to be achieved through a emission reduction trajectory between 45% and 55% by 2030, and between 65% and 75% by 2040, in relation to 2005.

The document details the following vectors of decarbonisation:
a) Decarbonise the production of electricity, eliminating the production of electricity from coal by 2030 and proceeding with the total decarbonization of the electricity system by 2050, betting on endogenous renewable resources;
b) Implement the energy transition, significantly increasing energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy, investing in the incorporation of endogenous renewable energy sources in final energy consumption, promoting electrification and adjusting the role of natural gas in the national energy system;
c) Progressively decentralize and democratize energy production, giving emphasis to the role of the consumer as an active part of the energy system;
d) Promote decarbonisation in the residential sector, favoring urban rehabilitation and increasing energy efficiency in buildings, promoting progressive electrification of the sector and the use of more efficient equipment, and combating energy poverty;
e) Decarbonise mobility, favoring the mobility system in public transport, through its strengthening and decarbonization of fleets, supporting innovative and intelligent solutions for multimodal, active, shared and sustainable mobility, as well as electric mobility and other technologies zero emissions, together with a reduction in the carbon intensity of sea and air transport, focusing on innovation, efficiency and cleaner, renewable fuels, as well as the decarbonisation of short- and long-distance transport of goods, promoting a logistical chain with a modal split that minimizes the carbon and energy intensity of the transport system, reaffirming the role of maritime and fluvial transport in conjunction with rail freight;
f) Promote the energy transition in industry, the incorporation of low carbon production processes and industrial symbiosis, promoting innovation and competitiveness;
g) Betting on sustainable agriculture, through the significant expansion of conservation agriculture and precision agriculture, substantially reducing emissions associated with livestock and the use of fertilizers and promoting innovation;
h) Foster carbon sequestration, through active agricultural and forest management, promoting the valorization of the territory;
i) Changing the paradigm of using resources in production and consumption, abandoning the linear economic model and moving to a circular and low carbon economic model;
j) Prevent the production of waste, increase recycling rates and very significantly reduce the deposition of waste in landfills;
k) Streamline the participation of cities and local administrations in decarbonisation, encouraging an integrated approach to its different vectors, in particular mobility, buildings, services and waste management, and enhancing the role they have been playing in mitigating climate change;
l) Stimulating research, innovation and knowledge production for neutrality in the various sectors of activity;
m) Make taxation an instrument for the transition to neutrality, proceeding with the elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies, reinforcing the application of the carbon tax and promoting greater taxation on the use of resources, recycling revenues for decarbonization and fair transition ;
n) Redirect financial flows to promote carbon neutrality, namely by promoting the development of a favorable framework for sustainable financing and greater involvement of the financial system, as well as the respective monitoring;
o) Promote the involvement of society in the transition, contributing to increase individual and collective action, the adoption of sustainable behaviors and the alteration of production and consumption patterns in favor of sustainability, namely through environmental education and awareness;
p) Promote the development of skills and (re) qualification directed towards new opportunities for economic development;
q) Encourage the development of the new economy linked to energy transition and decarbonisation, supporting the development of new industrial and service clusters, and the generation of new business opportunities;
r) Promote a fair and cohesive transition, which values ​​the territory, creates wealth, promotes employment and contributes to raising the standards of quality of life in Portugal.