Pulse

10 September 2026

Good morning. Today's Pulse moves from the land and its restoration to the streets we cross every day, with a fair, a festival and one olive tree per child waiting at the end.

Nature & biodiversity

Portugal unveils new nature restoration pilot projects under PNRN

Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho announced new pilot projects under the National Nature Restoration Plan (PNRN), covering Peneda-Gerês, Serra da Estrela, São Mamede, Vale do Guadiana and Sudoeste Alentejano parks, plus a montado restoration initiative. Peneda-Gerês will be the first implemented. The PNRN was submitted to the European Commission on 28 August. Carvalho also cited the designation of 61 Special Conservation Zones, the Dom Carlos marine reserve, Iberian lynx conservation work, and a 120-day deadline for APA and Águas de Portugal to address water shortages on the Tagus's south bank. She also referenced the Social Climate Plan, mobilising €1.6 billion by 2032.

Ecosystems & Biodiversity Read more at Jornal PT Green ↗

Portuguese cities adapt to heat but keep losing tree cover, report finds

A study published in The Lancet examines how Portuguese cities are responding to climate change, finding that adaptation efforts are underway but urban tree cover continues to decline. José Chen-Xu, the study's lead author, warns that the impacts of climate change are growing faster than the capacity of Portuguese cities to respond. The research points to a widening gap between the pace of environmental change and the measures being implemented to counter it, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current urban adaptation strategies.

Ecosystems & Biodiversity Read more at Público ↗

Sagres bird festival sees surge in early sign-ups for October edition

The 17th Bird Watching Festival takes place in Sagres from 2 to 5 October, offering 314 activities and drawing stronger early demand than in 2025, organisers say. Run by Vila do Bispo council with the Almargem Association and the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the festival usually attracts around 1,300 participants, about 60% of them Portuguese, with visitors from every continent. Around 120 of the activities are paid, the rest free. This year's featured species is the razorbill, and new offerings include moth photography and a 'sound safari'. Sagres ranks as Europe's third most important migratory bird corridor.

Algarve Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Postal ↗ View project: Associação ALMARGEM →

Sintra jazz festival adds nature conservation workshops this year

The Jazz em Monserrate festival returns to Sintra's Monserrate Park and Palace from 11 to 13 September, organised by Parques de Sintra with artistic direction by Inês Laginha under the theme "Outros Tempos". Alongside concerts, musical cinema, baby jazz sessions and jam sessions, this edition introduces free workshops on pollinators, fruit tree grafting and mushroom production, led by specialists including beekeeper Telmo Cabral. Parques de Sintra says the initiative reflects its biodiversity conservation work and links to the National Nature Restoration Plan. Workshop entry is free for festival ticket-holders with prior registration, while daily concert tickets cost 20 euros.

Lisbon Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Green Savers ↗

Water, soil and the seasons

Beja hosts national irrigation congress as water demand could rise 27.5%

Beja will host the XI National Irrigation and Drainage Congress from 30 September to 2 October, opened by the Minister of Agriculture and Sea. Organisers warn that climate change could increase irrigation water needs by 27.5% by the end of the century under the worst-case scenario. Portugal has already improved irrigation efficiency by 18% between 1999 and 2023, with 633,000 hectares now irrigated, producing around 30% of national agricultural output. The congress will discuss artificial intelligence, water strategy, modernisation and a national efficiency barometer showing over 118,000 hectares under efficient-use practices in 2025.

Alentejo Food & Agriculture Read more at Rádio Pax ↗ View project: GEOTA →

INIAV to hold open day on berry sustainability in Odemira

INIAV will host an Open Day at its Fataca Innovation Hub in Odemira on 17 September 2026, focused on sustainability in the berry sector. Organised with companies including Beira Baga, Berrysmart, OP MadreFruta and Deifil, the event forms part of the "Ver, Testar, Aplicar" project promoting collaborative innovation. Morning sessions cover genetic resources, variety breeding and water-efficient raspberry genotypes, while sustainability panels address irrigation, substrate reuse and pest control. Afternoon guided visits to experimental fields will cover five technical stations. Attendance is free but requires registration, capped at the first 100 sign-ups.

Alentejo Food & Agriculture Read more at Rede Rural ↗

Getting around

Coimbra's Rua da Sofia restricts cars from Thursday

From Thursday, 10 September, Coimbra's Rua da Sofia gives priority to public transport, with private cars no longer allowed to circulate freely. Mayor Ana Abrunhosa walked the street on Wednesday to explain the changes to residents and shopkeepers ahead of implementation. The measure forms part of a broader reorganisation of traffic in the historic street.

Centro Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Notícias de Coimbra ↗

Leiria council rules out several mobility plan proposals

Days before public discussion closes on Leiria's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, the city council distanced itself from several of its proposals. It ruled out making Machado dos Santos street mainly pedestrian, closing streets to traffic except Rua Barão de Viamonte, and turning car parks near the municipal market and Almuinha Grande into leisure areas. It also rejected building a car park in front of the town hall. The council stressed the plan is a strategic guidance document, not a set of binding decisions, and that any measures depend on further study and municipal assessment.

Centro Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Jornal de Leiria ↗

Needs attention

Braga council says it is watching Borralha mine reopening

Braga's mayor João Rodrigues said the municipality is monitoring the planned reopening of the Borralha tungsten mine in Montalegre, concerned about impacts on the Cávado river, which supplies the city's drinking water. The issue arose after Chega councillor Filipe Aguiar revealed that water utility Agere had voiced serious concerns to Portugal's environment agency (APA) over the mine's reactivation. APA gave conditional approval in January, and operator Minerália holds a 2021 concession for underground mining, pledging fully recycled water with no discharges into rivers or aquifers. The Povo e Natureza do Barroso association has filed a legal challenge against the project's environmental approval.

Norte Ecosystems & Biodiversity Read more at Diário do Minho ↗

Farmers' group demands end to carbon tax on agricultural diesel

APROSERPA, representing farmers on the left bank of the Guadiana, says the government's extension of a 10-cent-per-litre subsidy for agricultural diesel is insufficient to address a liquidity crisis hitting extensive and rain-fed farming. Its analysis of DGEG reference prices finds the pre-tax cost of agricultural diesel is higher than regular and premium road diesel, and calls on regulators to explain why. It demands the carbon tax be scrapped and a fix found for VAT cash-flow problems, warning it may launch public protest actions if the government keeps offering only temporary measures.

Alentejo Food & Agriculture Read more at Agroportal ↗

Good to know

Tobacco waste manager ÚNICO starts funding urban cleaning costs

ÚNICO, the entity managing single-use plastic products with a focus on filtered tobacco products, has begun operating, requiring producers to fund municipal urban cleaning costs linked to cigarette butt waste. The system follows the 2019 EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, with ÚNICO licensed in 2024 and now launching after approval of producer payment terms. Though tobacco products are under 1% of characterised urban waste by weight, filters are frequently discarded in public spaces, driving extra cleaning costs. Contributions cover sweeping, beach cleaning and waste transport, but not selective collection or recycling. Municipalities must register and report annual cleaning data to receive payments.

Products, Consumption & Circular Read more at Ambiente Magazine ↗ View project: Electrão →

Guimarães hosts national urban cleaning conference as Green Capital

Guimarães is hosting the 8th National Urban Cleaning Meeting from Tuesday to Thursday, organised by the ALU association under the theme "[Des]construir o futuro", as part of its programme as European Green Capital 2026. Local councillor Alberto Martins said the event calls for rethinking urban development models and framed cleaning as a public health and citizenship issue, not merely an aesthetic one. ALU chair Ana Raimundo argued that more resources alone cannot solve current problems, urging a rethink of how services match real citizen behaviour and greater civic responsibility for waste in public spaces. The three-day meeting brings together municipalities, companies and experts to share solutions.

Norte Products, Consumption & Circular Read more at Ambiente Magazine ↗

GreenYellow completes 18 solar plants for Jerónimo Martins sites

GreenYellow has finished installing 18 rooftop solar plants for self-consumption at Jerónimo Martins sites, including Pingo Doce and Recheio stores and a Luís Vicente farming unit, under 15-year on-site power purchase agreements. The plants, spread across locations from Sines to Sintra, total 8 MWp of capacity and an estimated annual output of 11.6 GWh, enough to cover more than 3,860 households and avoid over 1,230 tonnes of CO2 a year. GreenYellow funded the investment and delivers a turnkey model covering engineering, installation, operation and maintenance for the contract's duration.

Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Green Savers ↗

Algarve tourism board runs three nature press trips in September

The Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) is hosting three press trips throughout September for national and international journalists, aiming to promote the region's nature tourism, local communities and experiences beyond the traditional sun-and-sea offer. The itineraries cover Monchique, Aljezur, Odemira, Tavira, Loulé, Olhão, Faro and the Ria Formosa Natural Park, including jeep and e-bike tours, boat trips to Ilha Deserta and Culatra, and visits to salt pans and nature reserves. The trips are linked to branding and internationalisation projects involving the Alentejo and Ribatejo tourism board.

Algarve Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Barlavento ↗

Alentejo engineering meeting set for Sines in October

The Encontro da Engenharia no Alentejo will take place on 10 and 11 October in the municipality of Sines, organisers announced. This year's edition is jointly organised by the Sines branch of the Ordem dos Engenheiros and the district delegations of Beja, Évora and Portalegre. The programme includes technical visits to REN's Sines LNG terminal and the Miróbriga Roman ruins in Santiago do Cacém, a dinner with photography contest awards, and a second day of sports and social activities, including a motorised tour or a walk around Porto Covo.

Alentejo Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Rádio Pax ↗

Close to home

Alqueva launches 35 school activities on water and territory

EDIA has prepared 35 educational activities for students and teachers as part of the 2026/2027 school year, under the programme 'Alqueva vai à Escola'. The initiative, presented at the Centro Alqueva, covers themes including water, agriculture, renewable energy, environment, heritage and tourism. Activities will take place at the Centro Alqueva near the dam, at the Museu da Luz in Mourão, and at the Parque de Natureza de Noudar in Barrancos, alongside sessions in classrooms and other EDIA sites. The aim is to help students understand how the Alqueva project has transformed the surrounding region.

Alentejo Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Rádio Pax ↗ View project: Parque de Natureza de Noudar →

Webinar to explore school meals and local food supply chains

An online event called 'Advisinar' will take place on 21 September 2026 to discuss how school meal programmes can better connect with local food production and support more sustainable food systems. The session opens with a presentation from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, followed by case studies from Ireland, Italy and Portugal, including Bérgamo's food policy approach and Torres Vedras's sustainable school meal programme. It runs from 09:00 to 10:15 (mainland Portugal time) and closes with an open discussion. Organisers are inviting producers, officials and organisations to submit questions in advance.

Lisbon Food & Agriculture Read more at Rede Rural ↗

Avis children each get an olive tree until they turn 18

In Avis, Portalegre district, around 40 children linked to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia nursery are joining a project in which each is given an olive tree, receiving the oil it produces every year until adulthood. The initiative comes from an agreement between young agronomist João Varela and the charity, whose family has rented SCMA land for over 70 years. Each tree yields roughly one litre of oil per season, with full production expected within three years. Children will also make at least three annual visits to the olive groves to follow pruning, flowering and harvest.