Good morning. Today's Pulse takes in wildfire prevention and water use, a giant frog made of rubbish in Ponte de Lima, salt marshes turned into laboratories, and quiet steps towards cleaner transport across the country.
FNAC DARTY and WWF Portugal have replaced the usual demo images on display televisions with photographs and videos of the great fires of summer 2025. The "Fogo Exposto" campaign runs until the end of September, raising funds for prevention and ecological restoration.
Consumption in the region has grown almost 14% in five years, while network losses exceed 30% in most municipalities. Nazaré, pushed by tourism, is near a 20% rise and is investing in new reservoirs and pipe renewal.
Nineteen ducks and geese were found dead beside a lake in Parque da Cidade. Most carcasses were too decomposed for post-mortem tests, so the cause remains unknown; the council is monitoring the site and no further deaths have been reported.
The artist has responded to the debate around his seven-metre Iberian frog in Ponte de Lima, built from reused waste to mark 25 years of the Lagoas de Bertiandos protected landscape. He says the piece is a warning about extreme consumption habits and the fragility of the species and its ecosystem.
In the village of Fonte de Mouro, the Casas da Ilha cultural and regenerative park is taking shape on some 30 hectares of Alentejo coastline, with support from the ICNF and Sines council. Its first exhibition, Waste 2 Arte, turns litter gathered on Costa Vicentina beaches into photography, on show until 19 September.
A journey through Pinhel, the village of Cidadelhe and the Côa valley takes in the Faia rock art site, part of the UNESCO-listed Côa Valley Archaeological Park. It ends at a viewpoint suspended over the valley, where griffon vultures and crag martins circle.
The sighting of a monk seal at Ponta Gorda beach led to the red flag being raised, keeping bathers out of the water for the afternoon. It adds to other recent sightings close to bathing areas in the region.
A new decree-law exempts municipalities that meet European recycling and reuse targets from the waste management levy, and redirects levy revenue to the Environmental Fund. It also tightens rules on construction and demolition waste, including asbestos, and aligns Portugal with the new EU waste shipment regulation.
The PPWR sets a phased calendar to cut packaging waste, including a ban from 2030 on hotel cosmetic miniatures and single-serving condiment sachets in restaurants. Coffee capsules and tea bags now count as packaging, though collection in Portugal follows current rules until harmonised labelling arrives in 2028.
The CCDR Algarve has created a commission bringing together the region's 16 municipalities, ALGAR, AMAL and municipal companies to track progress on the PERSU 2030 targets. It will meet twice a year, in a region where summer tourism sharply increases waste.
Some 2.9 million euros will go into expanding the Montinho Environmental Park, creating plots for new waste management and recycling companies. The work also includes a leachate treatment system that will allow more water to be reused on site, starting in September.
Red Eléctrica expects the total solar eclipse of 12 August to cut photovoltaic output on the Iberian Peninsula by around 5 GW, some 13% of typical peak August demand. The impact is described as limited and temporary, with reserves and monitoring reinforced; in Portugal totality touches only a small area near Bragança.
The new Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Leiria is stirring controversy reminiscent of the PEMT a decade ago, which the council eventually froze after public opposition. Early discussions already show sharply divided views.
The SAL+ project, led by the University of the Algarve's Centre of Marine Sciences, is combining biotechnology and environmental monitoring to add value to traditional salt production. Sampling has confirmed good environmental conditions and isolated salt-resistant fungi and bacteria with biotechnological potential.
The XtremeGourmet 2.0 project brings together the University of the Algarve, the Faculty of Pharmacy in Porto and the company Agro-On to expand halophyte production. Three new species are to be introduced and existing ones improved nutritionally, including lower sodium, alongside outreach in schools.
Madeira's Regional Government has amended its programme contract with ARDITI to fund the purchase of ocean technologies. The same meeting approved support for research at the University of Madeira, a contract with Calheta council and backing for the Madeira Ocean Challenge 2026.
Águas e Energia do Porto has held first place nationally for water supply service quality for a third consecutive year, under the 2024 ERSAR-based ranking. The company credits pipe renewal and the switch to telemetry meters, with sanitation services also improving.
Expansion works at the Feiteirinhas subdivision in Machico will create 15 plots for two-bedroom homes under surface rights, due for completion in 2027. The 760,000 euro contract is part of Madeira's strategy of providing serviced land.
Led in northern Portugal by the ADER-SOUSA and CORANE local action groups, the project was highlighted by the EU CAP Network as international good practice. Between October 2023 and March 2025 it drew nearly 7,800 participants to 386 activities against social isolation, with a good practice manual to follow.
For the second year running, REN appears in TIME and Statista's list of the world's 500 most sustainable companies. The ranking looks at sustainability indicators, ESG commitments, transparency and corporate responsibility.
A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.
