The Vila do Porto Municipal Council on the island of Santa Maria, Azores, presented the Municipal Climate Action Plan proposal at a session organized by Eco Desafios, also attended by partner entities Simbiente and PlannetPro.

At the opening of the session, the Mayor stressed that this was “a necessary investment to provide the municipality with another important territorial management tool”, which would make it possible to know and predict the effects of climate change, as well as enable the municipality to take appropriate measures to prevent or minimize these impacts and ensure the resilient and sustainable development of the municipality.

“Very few municipalities have this plan in preparation and in force and we want to be at the forefront and position ourselves as a municipality, and an island, that is a forerunner when it comes to meeting the goals and objectives of sustainable development, with a view to carbon neutrality,” said Bárbara Chaves.

For the mayor, talking about climate change means predicting and anticipating the future in the present and doing so in a way that cuts across all sectors of activity because together, everyone will be able to take concrete measures so that we can talk about sustainable development.

“From fisheries to agriculture, from tourism to accessibility and mobility, from commerce to industry, everyone matters on this path that will have to take into account prevention and mitigation measures,” he stressed.

At the same time, a meeting was held with the various municipality departments to gather input for the plan.

This is also a necessary measure given the obligations of the Basic Climate Law, which establishes that, by January 2024, municipalities must have a Municipal Climate Action Plan, like a local climate policy action plan.

From Press Release

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.