ABAE – Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa
ABAAE (Associação Bandeira Azul de Ambiente e Educação) is a national non-profit environmental NGO that runs recognised programmes such as Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Green Key and ECOXXI to promote environmental education and sustainable practices across Portugal.
ABAAE – Associação Bandeira Azul de Ambiente e Educação, commonly known by its historic name ABAE (Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa), is a Portuguese non-governmental environmental organisation (ONGA) dedicated to environmental education for sustainability. It is the national operator in Portugal for the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international network active in more than 60 countries.
The association manages several long-running certification and education programmes, including the Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas, Eco-Schools, Green Key for tourism establishments, ECOXXI for municipalities, Eco-Freguesias XXI for parishes, FEE EcoCampus for higher education institutions, and Jovens Repórteres para o Ambiente, which trains young people as environmental reporters at events such as Rock in Rio. Through these programmes it has certified over 1,700 Eco-Schools, more than 380 Blue Flags, over 320 Green Key establishments and 52 ECOXXI municipalities.
ABAAE works closely with schools, municipalities, businesses and local communities, running workshops, award ceremonies and awareness sessions throughout the year. It also manages related environmental projects and supports environmental literacy campaigns in partnership with public and private entities. The association is structured with a General Assembly, Board of Directors and Fiscal Council, supported by a technical team coordinating each of its national programmes.
Funded partly through the voluntary consignment of IRS (income tax) contributions, membership fees and partnerships, ABAAE continues to expand its reach, recently hosting Green Key certification ceremonies in Madeira and clarification sessions on the Eco-Freguesias XXI programme for municipalities such as Sintra.
Our Goal
To promote environmental education for sustainability across Portugal and to manage recognition programmes that reward good environmental practices in schools, municipalities, tourism establishments and communities.
Our Wishes
The association encourages schools, municipalities, businesses and citizens to join its certification programmes, support its work through IRS tax consignment, and take part in its educational and environmental initiatives.
