They keep the roots of our history and some have even been the cradle of the first peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. Therefore, to preserve the 12 Historical Villages of Portugal and make them more sustainable, ensuring their future, is one of the priorities of the Network. This explains the new project "Towards Carbon Neutrality", formalized last March 17, in the Historic Village of Idanha-a-Velha. This project follows the Network's commitment to sustainability and the Historic Villages of Portugal in becoming the first carbon neutral tourist destination in the country.
The challenge is to make the changes associated with decarbonization compatible with maintaining the heritage identity and peculiarities of each Historic Village. Thus, this is a transition that requires capacity for transversal action. It is a collaborative process, in the spirit of circularity, energy transition and carbon neutrality as an act of responsibility, for which the Network of Historic Villages of Portugal relies on its entire network of current and future partners, whose spirit of mission fits into this ambitious approach that seeks to raise the Historic Villages of Portugal to the status of a sustainable destination.
In line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the European Ecological Pact (Green Deal), this is a decisive step towards the goal of making a Network of Villages in the first, at the European level, to benefit from a position of water and energy efficiency, based on the strategic vision: "Historical Villages of Portugal: a sustainable urban network and pioneer in its contribution to the green growth of low density territories".
Remember that energy and water efficiencies are part of the Action Plan for the Local Energy and Climate Agenda, addressed under the Covenant of Mayors Program, in which the AHP-ADT, as promoter, and municipalities, as signatories, have committed to reduce 45% of CO2 by 2030 - a commitment that requires co-responsibility, tenacity and collective work. In fact, the implicit transformation towards full sustainability requires, also, the zeal for the preservation of the patrimonial identity of the Historical Villages of Portugal. This is a difficult equation, but doable, and fully, thanks to the network of partners who vehemently put at the disposal of this project their resources and their capital of knowledge and experience.
The project "Towards carbon neutrality" thus demonstrates once again the commitment of the Historical Villages of Portugal to sustainability.
