Covenant of Mayors

The European Commission launched the Covenant of Mayors in 2008, involving local authorities in the largest global movement that unites cities for climate action and local energy. This European Union initiative aims to outline energy policies by 2050, with a view to decarbonizing their territories, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and providing access to secure sustainable energy for all citizens.

The signatory municipalities aimed to achieve and exceed the European Union's goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 through reducing energy consumption - both public and private - and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. And by 40% by 2030, adopting a joint approach to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The Municipality of Matosinhos joined this Covenant of Mayors on May 20, 2010. On October 25, 2012, the Municipal Assembly approved the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP), whose implementation would allow the commitment to reduce the municipality's emissions by 21% by 2020. By 2013, there was already a 13% reduction in CO2 emissions.

Committed to climate action, on October 15, 2015, the Municipality joined the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. To honor this commitment, the Municipality approved the Municipal Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (EMAAC) in 2018, which identifies, characterizes, and prioritizes a set of adaptation options, and the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) in 2021, which defines the main actions including a Baseline Emissions Inventory, a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment to Climate Change, and a Mitigation Actions Monitoring Plan. This ambitious political commitment marks the beginning of a long-term process in which cities commit to reporting on the progress of their plans every two years.

A practical example of this action is the investments made in the rehabilitation of the riverbanks of the Leça River, known as the "Leça Green Corridor," with 7 km of bike paths and pedestrian routes, and the "ClimACT" Project, which works on the transition to a low-carbon economy in schools. This process concerns everyone, and in this sense, the Municipality of Matosinhos invites all citizens and institutions to join this strategy in a union of ideas, wills, and actions for this common cause.

In total, the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy includes:

The municipality commits to intensifying efforts in five areas of action: air quality, water quality, nature and biodiversity, noise reduction, circular economy, and waste.

The municipality will establish baseline levels and set ambitious targets in the mentioned areas within two years, as well as implement integrated policies and programs and regularly monitor and report on the implementation and progress of these policies and programs.