Quercus demands eucalyptus moratorium after major 2026 wildfires

Environmental group Quercus and the Environmental Paper Network have called for an immediate moratorium on new eucalyptus plantations in Portugal, blaming the monoculture for fuelling wildfires amid an El Niño year marked by severe drought and heat warnings from the World Meteorological Organisation. They cite the July fire in Vouzela, which accounted for half of this year's burnt area, as evidence of the country's vulnerability. The organisations demand binding targets to convert eucalyptus land to native species by 2030, a polluter-pays levy on the pulp and paper industry, and direct financial support for landowners maintaining native forest.