Environmental association Zero, in a statement, warns that Portugal's National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC) is not yet aligned with the target of an increase in temperatures of no more than 1.5°C (degrees Celsius).

The analysis of the plans stems from the “LIFE Togetherfor1.5” project, led by the European Climate Action Network (CAN Europe), which brings together European environmental organisations and of which Zero is part.

In the document, the organisations highlight several “significant flaws” in the plans. The consortium has sent a letter to the European Commission expressing serious concerns regarding the insufficient level of ambition and inadequate quality of revisions to National Energy and Climate Plans, according to Zero.

According to the report, only 16 of the 27 European Union states had, as of the start of the week, submitted revisions to their national plans, an obligation they had until the end of June. France and Germany are two examples.

Some countries presented the review but with practically no changes compared to 2019 and there are also countries that “are not even meeting the European Union's (EU) minimum climate and energy requirements for 2030”, the organisations say in a statement about the report.

“It is also important to mention that even this EU climate ambition remains below what is necessary to be aligned with the Paris Agreement and keep citizens safe from serious consequences of climate change. A true commitment to its fair contribution to limiting global warming to 1.5°C should imply significant short-term emissions reductions and a reduction of at least 65% in the EU's gross emissions (or 76% in net emissions) by 2030”, he adds.

In the case of Portugal, says the statement, released by Zero, the “policies and measures in the various sectors generally lack sufficient detail to be credible in achieving the goals proposed” in the PNEC, and there are measures which are “clearly insufficient in some sectors”.