VZCZCXRO3738
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHLI #0012/01 0081500
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081500Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8048
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPD/AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA 0656

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LISBON 000012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR 
DEPT ALSO FOR EB, OES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR KGCC ECON PREL PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW: MANY POSITIVE STEPS 
 
REF: 09 LISBON 564 
 
LISBON 00000012  001.3 OF 004 
 
 
SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
------------------- 
¶1.  Portugal's environmental programs, managed by the 
Government of Portugal Environment Agency, have produced 
impressive results in recent years.  Ambitious renewable 
energy programs should enable Portugal to meet targets for 
greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.  Air and 
water quality are improving, and water treatment services are 
covering an increasing majority of the population. 
Comprehensive waste management guidelines are increasing 
rates of recycling/reuse and decreasing the generation of 
industrial waste, although its disposal through 
co-incineration remains a contentious issue.  Conservation 
and forest management plans are helping to ensure effective 
stewardship of Portugal's biodiversity, but forest fires and 
the pinewood nematode continue to threaten important forestry 
resources. 
 
¶2.  Comment: Portugal has a robust environmental management 
program, and despite limited resources, its agencies are 
producing results.  While climate change continues to be the 
centerpiece of environmental and sustainable development in 
Portugal, other more mundane initiatives such as recycling 
are not being neglected and continue to improve the overall 
environmental outlook in Portugal.  End summary and comment. 
 
PORTUGUESE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 
----------------------------- 
¶3.  The Portugal Environment Agency, APA, a component of the 
Ministry of Environment, has responsibility for the GOP's 
environmental and sustainable development policies.  APA 
authority covers many aspects of Portugal's National Program 
for Climate Change (NPAC) as well as air and water quality, 
waste management, and nature and biodiversity.  The APA 
oversees environmental assessments of major construction 
projects, coordinates with nongovernmental and international 
environmental organizations, and promotes environmental 
awareness through educational programs and environmental 
campaigns. 
 
CLIMATE CHANGE 
-------------- 
¶4.  Climate change has dominated the Portuguese environmental 
scene since EU ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. 
The EU Agreement for Sharing of Responsibilities under Kyoto 
established that Portugal should limit the growth of 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 27 percent above 1990 
levels, which equates to a total increase of 382 million tons 
of CO2-equivalent (Mt CO2e) during 2008-2012, an annual 
average of 76.39 Mt CO2e. 
 
¶5.  Portugal's key tools to meet its climate change targets 
are: (i) the National Program for Climate Change (PNAC), 
which defines the national monitoring strategy and emissions 
reduction by different sectors; (ii) the National Plan of 
Allocation (NAP), which outlines implementation in Portugal 
of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS); and (iii) 
the Portuguese Carbon Fund, which plans for development 
activities to obtain credits for GHG emissions, including 
investment in flexible mechanisms established under the Kyoto 
Protocol. 
 
¶6.  In 2007 the GOP increased the targets in the PNAC based 
on more ambitious measures in the energy supply sector and 
increased use of biofuels in the transportation industry. 
The additional measures of "New Goals 2007" have the 
potential to reduce GHG emissions by 5.25 Mt CO2e per year, 
almost 9 percent of the 1990 base level of 59.3 Mt CO2e, 
through an increase from 39 percent to 45 percent in 
electricity generation from renewable sources, expansion of 
natural gas-fired electricity generation, and replacing 5 to 
10 percent of coal with biomass to fuel two coal-fired power 
plants (Central Sines and Pego.) 
 
¶7.  Francisco Ferreira, head of Quercus, a major Portuguese 
environmental NGO, told us there is strong public support for 
renewable energy initiatives in Portugal, but his group 
recommends the GOP invest more in energy efficiency measures 
instead of large, costly renewable energy projects such as 
dams.  Ferreira said Quercus does not oppose all new dam 
construction, but says marginal projects like the Sabor dam 
in northern Portugal, which will meet less than 1 percent of 
the national electricity demand, are not worth the 
environmental cost.  A comparable investment in energy 
efficiency, such as rehabilitating existing buildings or 
expanding public transportation, would save much more energy 
than Sabor will produce, would create additional jobs, and 
 
LISBON 00000012  002.3 OF 004 
 
 
benefit the environment more, claimed Ferreira. 
 
¶8.  Fausto Brito e Abreu, an advisor for climate change at 
the Ministry of Environment, told us that 2006 and 2007 
national emissions of greenhouse gases, excluding emissions 
and removals from forests and changes in land use, were 38 
percent and 32 percent above values of 1990, respectively, in 
other words about 11 percent and 5 percent above Portugal's 
Kyoto target.  Given this trend and future planned measures, 
Brito e Abreu opines that Portugal will meet its Kyoto 
Protocol targets. 
 
AIR QUALITY 
----------- 
¶9.  Overall air quality in Portugal is good.  Air pollutants 
are primarily caused by industry, transport, and agriculture. 
 Air quality monitoring focuses on the levels of nitrogen 
dioxide (NO2), ozone, acidification and eutrophication agents 
(potentially causing acid rain, reduced water quality, and 
oxygen depletion in bodies of water), and inhalable 
particulates. 
 
¶10.  Primary sources of NO2 are road transport, power plants, 
heavy industry and the burning of biomass.  The annual 
average concentration for NO2 remains within acceptable 
levels but is increasing.  In 2007 the only measurement 
exceeding acceptable levels was at Entrecampos, a high 
traffic area in central Lisbon. 
 
¶11.  Ground level ozone pollution usually occurs in the 
summer, with sunny days, high temperatures, and light winds - 
conditions that occur frequently during summer months in 
Portugal.  Incidences of harmful levels of ground level ozone 
vary from year to year with changing weather conditions.  For 
example, in 2007, one of the wettest years this century, 
there were only 20 days exceeding acceptable ozone levels, 
less than half the number observed in most preceding years. 
By contrast, there were 69 days with dangerous levels in 
2005, an extremely hot and dry year.  The annual average 
concentrations have remained relatively stable. 
 
¶12.  Acidifying and eutrophying pollutants may affect land 
use and influence development of certain species of plants 
and animals.  Gases that contribute to acidification and 
eutrophication are sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides 
(NOx), and ammonia (NH3), and therefore emission levels of 
these gases are used as indicators to assess the evolution of 
these phenomena.  Between 1990 and 2006 the emissions of 
these substances had decreased 21 percent, largely 
attributable to mandatory use of low-sulfur fuels beginning 
in 2003.  Portugal has made impressive progress in reducing 
these pollutants and by 2006 had already attained 2010 target 
reductions. 
 
¶13.  Air pollution caused by inhalable particulates, sized at 
10 microns or less (PM10), represents the highest air 
pollution risk to public health.  In Portugal, annual PM10 
concentrations have been on a downward trend.  Since 2000, 
only in 2001 did the annual average concentration exceed the 
acceptable level of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3). 
 
WATER QUALITY 
------------- 
¶14.  Portugal has a goal of providing 90 percent of the 
population with treated water, and although this goal has 
been reached in some areas, for much of the country coverage 
rates are lower.  Water treatment continues to expand, 
reaching 70 percent of the population of continental Portugal 
in 2006, a 3 percent increase from 2005.  In the Portuguese 
islands of the Azores and Madeira, water treatment services 
were provided to 75 percent and 90 percent of the population, 
respectively. 
 
¶15.  Surface water quality is improving.  In 2007 the surface 
water quality ranking "Good" or "Excellent" rose to 26 
percent, up from 21 percent in 2006 and 14 percent in 2005, 
while "Bad" or "Very Poor" results were found for 36 percent 
of tested sites, down from 39 percent in 2006 and 38 percent 
in 2005.  The primary factors for surface water contamination 
are nutrient enrichment, especially nitrogen and phosphate, 
from the use of fertilizers in agriculture, and urban sewage 
discharges.  The highest incidence of poor water quality 
continues to be found in rural systems supplying fewer than 
5,000 inhabitants. 
 
¶16.  Bathing water quality at beaches and in rivers is 
monitored annually due to its impact on tourism and as an 
indicator of overall environmental quality.  In the 2007 
bathing season (June 1 through September 30) over 94 percent 
 
LISBON 00000012  003.3 OF 004 
 
 
of areas tested were acceptable, but 5 percent failed to meet 
minimum standards and bathing was banned in 0.5 percent of 
them.  The tourist destination regions of the Algarve and 
Lisbon and the nearby Tagus Valley had the best results. 
 
¶17.  There is a high volume of maritime traffic in areas 
under Portuguese jurisdiction, and vessel accidents resulting 
in pollution are a concern.  Since the 1990 total of 130 
polluting incidents, the number of incidents has been 
steadily dropping, with only 25 incidents in 2007.  This 
reduction is largely credited to increased vigilance, 
incident supervision, and expanded technical capabilities, 
including the "Clean Sea Net," which provides satellite 
images to locate incidents of marine pollution and 
expeditiously mitigate their effects. 
 
WASTE DISPOSAL 
-------------- 
¶18.  Between 1995 and 2006 production of municipal waste in 
Portugal increased by about 29 percent, matching the gross 
domestic product (GDP) increase over the same period.  In 
2006 4.6 million metric tons of municipal waste were 
collected.  This equates to roughly 1.3 kilograms of waste 
produced per inhabitant per day, just below the EU average of 
1.4 kilograms. 
 
¶19.  56 percent of typical municipal waste in Portugal is 
biodegradable, underscoring the need to prioritize disposal 
through organic recycling, paper/cardboard recycling and 
incineration with energy recapture, instead of landfill 
disposal. 
 
¶20.  There has been a marked shift from waste disposal at 
uncovered landfills to the use of sanitary, covered disposal 
sites and recycling.  In 1995, 73 percent of waste was 
deposited in open landfills, but by 2007 64 percent of waste 
was deposited in covered sanitary sites, with the other 36 
percent disposed of through incineration with energy recovery 
(18 percent), organic recovery (11 percent) and collection 
for recycling (7 percent).  Measures passed in 2002 impose 
phased reductions in landfill disposal of biodegradable 
waste; in 2009 no more than 50 percent of biodegradable waste 
may be disposed of in landfills, reducing to no more than 35 
percent in 2016. 
 
¶21.  In 2005 the total production in Portugal of Industrial 
Waste (IR) was about 31 million tons, a 50 percent increase 
from 1998.  Production of Hazardous Industrial Waste (RIP) 
increased 7 percent over the same period, reaching 2.6 
million tons.  A National Plan for the Prevention of 
Industrial Waste (PNAPRI) is being developed to reduce the 
quantity of this material, seeking a 20 percent reduction for 
all industrial waste. 
 
¶22.  RIP generated in Portugal is typically shipped abroad 
for disposal.  In 2000 co-incineration in cement kilns was 
first proposed for disposal of RIP, and initial test results 
were favorable enough for an environmental license to be 
granted to cement manufacturer Cimpor to begin 
co-incineration in January 2008.  However, a class action 
suit filed by a citizens group resulted in an injunction 
which blocked the process until December 2009, when the 
courts said the project could go forward.  Legal maneuvering 
continues, and on January 4, 2010 a CDS-PP (Democratic and 
Social Centre - People's Party) legislator from Coimbra, near 
the projected co-incineration site, said he will introduce a 
bill in parliament to block the process. 
 
¶23.  Legislation passed in 2006 established strict guidelines 
and responsibilities for the disposal of "special" waste 
categories, including packaging, electrical components, 
batteries, tires, oils, and vehicles.  The legislation 
includes requirements for recovery and recycling, use of more 
eco-friendly designs to minimize hazardous waste, and 
producer/importer responsibility in downstream recycling and 
reuse.  The guidelines have been very effective; recycling 
increased by 26 percent from 2006 to 2007, and performance 
targets for most categories have been met. 
 
NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY 
----------------------- 
¶24.  Portugal has adopted a National Strategy for the 
Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity.  In 2007 
approximately 21 percent of the land in continental Portugal 
was under some protection status. 
 
¶25.  Identification and preparation of lists of species 
protected at the national and international level are key 
steps for the preservation of species diversity.  In 2005 the 
 
LISBON 00000012  004.3 OF 004 
 
 
Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity 
(ICNB) concluded a review of endangered species of flora and 
fauna and their habitats, which revealed that Portugal now 
has 19 regionally extinct species including sturgeon, the 
grizzly bear and 17 species of birds.  The main threats to 
endangered species in Portugal are the destruction, 
degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats resulting 
from human activities and the introduction of non-native 
species. 
 
¶26.  In 2005 the forest area of mainland Portugal was 
approximately 3.4 million hectares, or roughly 38 percent of 
the total territory, mostly consisting of pine, oak, and 
eucalyptus trees.  There are oak reforestation efforts 
underway, as oak ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and, 
because they thrive in more arid areas, play an important 
role in combating desertification. 
 
¶27.  Forest fires are major threats to Portugal's forests. 
Increasing fragmentation of forest ownership and the growing 
abandonment of many agricultural areas complicate forest 
management and the prevention of fires.  In 2006 the National 
Forest Defense Against Fire plan was adopted, including the 
definition of a strategy for active management of the forest 
and the progressive reduction of forest fires.  Since the 
plan was adopted firefighting capabilities have increased, 
but they have not yet been tested in heavy fire seasons 
(reftel). 
 
¶28.  The pinewood nematode (PWN) is a significant threat to 
Portugal's pine forests.  Portugal has been working to 
control and eradicate the PWN since it was first detected in 
the pine forests of Setubal (central Portugal) in 1999.  The 
PWN is classified as a quarantine organism by the European 
Community, and its presence forced Portugal to begin taking 
costly measures to prevent its spread throughout Europe. 
Because the maritime pine is the species covering the 
greatest area of mainland Portugal, the PWN created a severe 
challenge for the GOP and the Portuguese forestry industry, 
which led to creation of the National Eradication Program of 
the Pinewood Nematode (PROLUNP) in 1999.  Despite significant 
efforts to prevent the spread of the PWN, since 1999 it has 
been found in broader areas of the country, and will continue 
to threaten Portugal's pine resources for years to come. 
 
 
For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, 
please see our Intelink site: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal 
SWEENEY