Pulse

4 October 2026

Good morning. Today's Pulse travels from cork playgrounds and ocean energy to the slow work of mending Portugal's water pipes, and ends with maize, bread and a chestnut roast in the hills of Minho.

New ideas taking shape

Corticeira Amorim fits cork playground at new Cascais shelter for abuse victims

Corticeira Amorim has partnered with the LAPS Foundation to supply a cork playground surface for the new Casa LAPS in Cascais, a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The facility opened on the International Day of Non-Violence, coinciding with the foundation's tenth anniversary in Portugal. The flooring uses Amorim's Corkeen system, made from natural cork, which cushions falls, provides natural thermal insulation and contains no volatile organic compounds or formaldehyde. The LAPS Foundation, founded in Turin in 2016, has operated in Portugal since 2021 and previously opened its first Casa LAPS in Funchal.

Lisbon Products, Consumption & Circular Read more at Jornal Económico ↗

Portugal clears land transfer for ocean energy centre in Viana do Castelo

The Portuguese government has authorised Viana do Castelo's City Council to obtain surface rights over a plot of land owned by the Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo. The land will be used to build a Technology and Innovation Centre focused on ocean energy and related technologies. The decision clears a legal step needed before construction of the facility can proceed, supporting the development of marine renewable energy research in the region.

Norte Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at The Portugal News ↗

Sertã pilots smart water meters on residential street

The municipality of Sertã has launched a pilot project installing smart electronic water meters on Rua Ângelo Pedro Farinha, in the town of Sertã. Over the past two months, around 70 traditional volumetric meters were replaced with ultrasonic smart meters as part of a new approach to monitoring and managing water consumption. The initiative aims to modernise management of the local water supply through residential telemetry, though further details on the meters' specific capabilities were not fully disclosed.

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

Alcobaça trials new traffic scheme in historic centre

The municipality of Alcobaça is piloting a new traffic circulation model in the city's historic centre, a move that has sparked mixed reactions among residents. The trial aims to assess different mobility solutions ahead of a future urban requalification project. That later works programme is intended to improve pedestrian links between the Monastery and the Castle, widen pavements, and make the area more accessible to people with reduced mobility.

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

Water: pipes, fields and plans

CAP president urges faster rollout of Portugal's water strategy

Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, president of the farmers' confederation CAP, said in an interview on the sidelines of the National Congress of Irrigation and Drainage that Portugal does not lack a water strategy, referring to the government's 'Água Que Une' plan, which CAP has welcomed. He argued the priority now must be implementing it rather than opening new debates. He noted Portugal irrigates only about 16-17% of its useful agricultural area, far below Spain's 23% average and well under Catalonia's 33% and Valencia and Murcia's roughly 50%.

Food & Agriculture Read more at Voz do Campo ↗

Young farmers' group calls for modernising Portugal's irrigation networks

A representative of young farmers says irrigation is central to almost every young farmer's investment plans, linking it to productivity, competitiveness and quality. The 'Água Que Une' initiative proposes not only expanding irrigated areas but also recovering and modernising existing infrastructure, including upgrading dams and repairing pipes and conduits. The statements were made in the 'Voz do Campo' programme, highlighting ongoing calls within the farming sector for investment in water management systems.

Food & Agriculture More on this story →

Batalha mayor says water network needs decades of repair work

The mayor of Batalha, André Sousa, has said the municipality's water supply network dates back to the last century and suffers from pressure problems, water losses and a lack of redundancy. He estimates that fixing the network fully would require investment spread across five to seven terms of office, acknowledging the council cannot carry out all the necessary work in the coming decades. The statement points to a long-term infrastructure gap facing the municipality's water system.

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

Forests, buildings and the bigger picture

Portugal hands out 285 tractors to boost wildfire prevention

Portugal's forestry secretary of state, Rui Ladeira, said he is confident forests will be better protected next summer after equipment deliveries to municipalities, intermunicipal communities and forestry producer organisations. Eight tractors were handed to eight Viseu district municipalities, part of a nationwide rollout of 285 tractors and new brush cutters for forest sapper teams, within an 80-million-euro equipment investment under the Floresta 2050 strategy. Between January and September 2025, Portugal recorded 8,032 rural fires burning 74,251 hectares, fewer than 70% of last year's figure. Ladeira said the Floresta Ativa support programme should reopen soon.

Centro Ecosystems & Biodiversity More on this story → View project: ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas →

Embodied carbon emerges as a financial risk in construction

An opinion piece argues that embodied carbon, the emissions from producing and transporting materials before a building is even used, can account for around 70% of a building's lifetime emissions, far more than operational energy use. New EU rules, including the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, are turning this into a measurable economic factor affecting prices, supply chains and investment decisions. Public buildings must reach zero emissions standards from 2028, extending to all new buildings in 2030. Catalyst Group data cited suggests assets failing to adapt could face financial depreciation of 21% to 40%.

Construction & Housing Read more at Jornal PT Green ↗

Good to know

Paredes de Coura hands out free composters to cut landfill waste

The municipality of Paredes de Coura is distributing free composters to families, charities, restaurants and the local school group as part of its Projeto de Compostagem do Concelho. The scheme, funded by the Fundo Ambiental, aims to encourage sorting and reuse of organic waste, cutting the volume sent to landfill and lowering waste management costs. Mayor Tiago Cunha noted that landfill deposit fees have risen from nine to 95 euros per tonne, directly affecting consumer bills. The composters also serve an educational purpose, letting pupils observe how organic waste is transformed into usable compost.

Norte Products, Consumption & Circular More on this story →

Expert explains when sprouted potatoes are still safe to eat

An epidemiology expert cited by Real Simple explains that potatoes sprouting small shoots are not automatically unsafe to eat. Potatoes naturally contain glycoalkaloids such as solanine and chaconine, which concentrate more in sprouts and green patches and are not destroyed by cooking. Sprouts should always be removed and never eaten, and green areas cut away generously. Firm potatoes with only minor sprouting can still be used, but soft, wrinkled, rotten or foul-smelling ones, or those with extensive greening, bitter taste or a burning sensation, should be discarded. Storage in a cool, dark, ventilated place away from onions helps slow both sprouting and decay.

Food & Agriculture Read more at Postal ↗

Close to home

Montaria festival revives traditional maize harvest customs

On Sunday 4 October, the Associação Desportiva e Cultural Montariense holds a day dedicated to traditional maize culture in Montaria and Serra d'Arga, part of the project 'Do Grão à Broa', supported by Viana do Castelo council. The programme includes a traditional cornbread-making session, a visit to a restored mill, a lunch requiring prior booking, and an afternoon 'desfolhada' (corn-husking gathering) with concertina players, ending with a chestnut roast. Free activities include limited spots for the bread session. The event aims to preserve rural knowledge and practices tied to maize farming passed down through generations.

Norte Food & Agriculture Read more at Alto Minho ↗

Seven days of the Pulse, curated into one weekly read.Read the Weekly Pulse

The Pulse in your inbox

A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.