At the recently held 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference, Portugal solemnly committed to developing a 'green economy' with the aim of establishing a new development model focused on achieving comprehensive sustainable development in social economy, government finance, and the surrounding environment. The green economy is currently recognized globally as a growth pole during an economic transformation period. The Portuguese government has proposed this plan, hoping that through this action, Portugal will become a pioneer among 'green development countries.' Portugal has been selected as one of the world's most environmentally friendly countries, with excellent air quality. Immigrating to Portugal is not only beneficial for investment, but the fresh air is also more attractive.
Carlos Martins, a senior official from the Portuguese Ministry of Environment, stated that this plan to promote sustainable development was proposed by the previous government and underwent extensive public consultation, with participation from over 90 social organizations and groups. Carlos Martins believes that "the Portuguese government is vigorously promoting 'decarbonization' in its economic sector, which means reducing the national consumption of coal."
Antonio Costa, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, told the Portuguese-Chinese community during the Paris Climate Summit that Portugal is confident it can close all coal-fired power plants by 2030, entering a "coal-free" era. Moreover, Portugal's two thermal power plants—the Sines Power Plant and the Pego Power Plant—will also complete their missions during this period. By around 2020, these two plants will cease operations.
The president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association predicts that Portugal could achieve the goal of 100% renewable energy use for electricity generation by the middle of this century.
After the conference, officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Environment stated, "The international community has always viewed Portugal as an environmentally friendly country. Portugal has consistently adhered to the path of environmental protection, implementing specific policies for environmental monitoring, restoration, and protection, hoping that these policies can curb the momentum of climate change to some extent."
Nuno Silva, president of the Royal Association of Environmental Strategy of Portugal, stated, "To improve the global climate situation, Portugal's manufacturing industry has been working hard to reduce fuel consumption in vehicles over the past few decades."
On December 12, local time, the president of the Paris Climate Change Conference announced the final version of the Paris Agreement to representatives of 195 countries, which was ultimately approved.
The agreement stipulates that all parties agree to strengthen the global response to the threats of climate change, in line with the requirements of sustainable development and efforts to eliminate poverty, controlling the increase in global average temperature to within 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, and continuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to within 1.5°C to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.
The formal implementation of this agreement is a significant event for all humanity, marking a milestone in history. After the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, the issue of controlling climate change seemed to reach a dead end, but the passage of the Paris Agreement has once again united the international community, placing it at a new starting point for the future. The Paris Agreement has received widespread applause and praise globally, representing a hard-won achievement of international cooperation, especially between developed and developing countries. The completion of this framework also signifies the beginning of the next phase of tasks.
When the Paris Agreement was passed, officials from the Portuguese delegation expressed immense excitement. After the meeting, they stated that to better control greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicle exhaust, they would also introduce more advanced technologies domestically to monitor environmental conditions.