The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Environment stated today that the preparation of the Plan for Climate Change (PRAC), which is being carried out by "a consortium that includes the University of the Azores," comprises two components: "mitigation and adaptation."
Luís Neto Viveiros received in audience the member of the National Assembly, José Luís Ferreira, and the national leader of Ecologist Party "Os Verdes", Vítor Cavaco. The government official stressed that PRAC should be concluded "next spring," according to the stipulated schedule.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the hearing, the Regional Secretary also said the document "takes into consideration the 20.20.20 targets," namely "the reduction of the effects of greenhouse gases, the reduction of primary energy sources" and "the increase in the use of alternative energy sources" by 20%.
PRAC will include scenarios and climate projections and will update emission estimates by sector, quantifying the opportunities for reduction of emissions and defining measures.
Without prejudice to the ongoing work towards a horizon until 2050, has already established for 2018 the goal to increase the penetration of renewable energy for electricity production by 50%.
Asked by journalists regarding the reference made today by the Minister of the Environment, João Matos Fernandes, at the 13th Water Conference on the completion and approval of the Management Plans of the Hydrographic Regions (PGRH) of Mainland Portugal and the Azores, Neto Viveiros expressed conveyed his satisfaction."
"We are pleased that, as I had announced, the Management Plan of the Hydrographic Region of the Azores is completed, unlike what happened in Mainland Portugal," the Regional Secretary said, alluding to the fact that the national document is being completed, while Madeira should complete it by the end of the year.
The Region was, in fact, the first in the country to complete the preparation of the Management Plan for the Hydrographic Region 2016-2021 and the Flood Risk Management Plan.