Good morning. Today the Gerês keeps the country talking, solar quietly takes the lead in our electricity mix, and there is honey, wheat and a sea hare along the way.
Leiria council approved an unfavourable opinion on extending a sand quarry in Monte Redondo, pointing to dust, respirable silica and 38 years of pressure on nearby villages. A public consultation runs until 20 August, with an APA information session scheduled.
Quercus in Castelo Branco is pressing the APA over transparency in the environmental assessment of the Sophia solar plant, after the developer used a project modification that suspends procedures for up to 180 working days. The association wants the negative technical opinion upheld.
Livre proposes a public draw, run by the Speaker of Parliament, to decide which bodies nominate men and which nominate women, preserving the legal parity requirement. PSD and PS have rival solutions; all three go to debate from September.
APREN's July bulletin puts mainland Portugal at 75% renewable electricity in the first seven months of 2026, fourth in Europe. July was also the first month in which solar photovoltaic led the generation mix, at 25.8%, ahead of hydro and wind.
The MOBI.E network passed one million charges and 25,000 MWh in July, both records, with distinct users up 89% year on year to more than 258,000. The network now counts 15,680 charging points and avoided over 20,000 tonnes of CO2 in the month.
UBBO Shopping Resort, with Helexia, has completed a 1.7 MWp rooftop plant of more than 3,000 panels, expected to generate 2.5 GWh a year. It is one of the largest solar installations on a Portuguese shopping centre.
With REN recording new summer consumption records, an article looks at how heat and industrial electrification are pushing company energy peaks upwards. Five strategies are suggested, from self-generation and storage to predictive thermal management.
Around 12% of the revitalisation plan drawn up after the 2022 fires is now executed or under way, backed by seven million euros in programme contracts. The municipalities are asking the Government for a clear timetable for the full 155-million-euro plan.
Macedo de Cavaleiros is seeking funding under the 'Água que Une' programme to renew the Azibo canal and pumping station. Only about a quarter to a third of the planned 3,000-hectare perimeter is actually irrigated, though it serves some 1,200 farmers.
The Government has widened eligibility for support to sheep farmers hit by bluetongue, now covering those who vaccinated up to 30 November 2025. Support stays at 48 euros per registered dead animal, with a list of eligible holdings and a 30-day complaints window to follow.
Researchers from INIAV and the Universidade Nova compare traditional and improved wheat varieties in Portugal. Interest in the older varieties is growing among niche markets, family farms and organic production, even though their technological and nutritional profiles remain little studied.
The Portuguese Animal Germplasm Bank, at the Fonte Boa hub in Santarém, preserves gametes and embryos from genetically superior livestock over the long term. INIAV researchers stress the need to understand what makes cryopreservation succeed across different breeds.
The third BeSafeBeeHoney international conference brought the beekeeping community together around honey quality, bee health and the sector's sustainability. The emphasis was on collaboration to safeguard both product safety and value.
EMAC has opened a 550,000-euro tender for the green bags used to collect food waste across the municipality. The scheme, piloted in 2018 and extended borough-wide in 2023, now reaches over 70,000 families and gathered nearly 3,500 tonnes of organic waste in 2024.
LIPOR has launched a new phase of its recycling campaign focused on glass, aimed at restaurants and cafés as well as residents of its member municipalities. Glass recycling stood at 50.4% in 2024, still well short of the European 70% target.
Esposende has completed the diagnostic stage for Sustainable Tourism Destination certification, fully meeting 63 of 69 requirements and reaching basic level in the remaining six, with none failed. Biosphere Portugal says it is the first municipality to reach this result at such an early stage.
The European Commission has named Guimarães European Green Capital 2026, recognising the city's progress on sustainability, liveability and civic engagement. The award is also being used abroad to highlight Portugal's appeal in walkability and quality of life.
The former primary school at Padrão, in Sistelo, has reopened as a tourism support centre after refurbishment. At the inauguration, the mayor stressed the value of preserving local farming traditions and announced a new agriculture support office for the municipality.
Lionesa Business Hub is the first business community in Portugal to receive WELL Community pre-certification, which assesses health, wellbeing, mobility, green space and inclusion. The hub houses over 120 companies and around 8,000 professionals from 50 nationalities.
From 12 August, EU rules limit PFAS in food packaging such as pizza boxes, popcorn bags and takeaway containers. The wider packaging regulation rolls out gradually to 2030, with harmonised labelling in 2028; for now companies have an adaptation period and shoppers will see little change.
Algarve-based producers, projects and companies can apply until 18h00 on 24 August for the 2026 Mediterranean Diet Innovation Prize. Cash awards of 1,000, 750 and 500 euros will be announced on 6 September at the fair in Tavira.
Espinhal, in Penela, hosts the 37th Feira do Mel from 4 to 6 September, with music, a walk, a local produce market, folk dancing and concerts. The programme closes with a showcase of the region's producers and local products.
A reader found an unfamiliar marine animal at Praia Azul, Vila do Conde, in early August. Specialist Gonçalo Calado identified it as a sea hare, probably Aplysia depilans, a harmless herbivore that grazes on algae.
A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.
