On Tuesday, a group of environmental associations asked the President of the Portuguese Republic to enforce the Basic Climate Law, approved at the end of 2021, but so far not a single article has been respected.
“The inaction of the Portuguese state is particularly reprehensible at a time of obvious deterioration in the climate change situation,” warned 13 environmental associations in a letter to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to which the Luza agency had access.
“The climate framework law represents several positive obligations in the legal sphere of the state, compliance with which is absolutely necessary for the success of climate action in Portugal,” say environmentalists, who accuse the state of not complying with legislation that it itself approved.
We are talking about the delay in the publication of a number of measures that were supposed to be completed by February 2023, such as “the creation of carbon budgets that should guide national policies and economies”, “the creation of a Climate Action Portal”, a “Climate Action Portal” with climate change.” Impact Assessment Report of Current Legislation”, analysis of government assets, “climate risk of financial assets” or “review of the legal regime for hydrocarbons”, among other issues.
“To date, none of these instruments have been created, which puts the Portuguese state in virtual non-compliance with the implementation obligations arising from the Basic Law,” environmentalists warn.
The lack of sectoral plans for the application of the basic law is another criticism from the associations, which ask the President to “intervene in the government and the Assembly of the Republic” on this topic.
“The failure to implement the Basic Climate Law represents not only a failure of the rule of law and representative democracy, but also a violation of the fundamental rights of Portuguese citizens,” said the letter addressed to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The letter is signed by the Last Hope Association; Civic Academy; Environment of uranium-bearing zones (UZZ); Association for the Protection of Heritage, Environment and Culture of Santa Iria da Azoia (ADPAC); Association “Dunas Livres”; Climate Center; Extinction Rebellion; Movement PELO TEJO (Protejo); Platform against the Transport of Live Animals (PATAV); Quercus (National Conservation Association); Degrowth Network; Association of Marine Sciences and Cooperation (SCIAENA)) and SOS Racismo Porto.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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