Portugal intends to renew support for environmental projects in Cabo Verde
newspaper Lusa · 10/06/2024
Portugal intends to renew support for environmental projects in Cabo Verde, the minister responsible, Maria da Graça Carvalho, said today in the capital, Praia, at the start of a visit dedicated to the projects of a cycle that is coming to an end.
“We have eight projects under way worth 2.3 million euros”, the aim being to “finish these projects and [work] on future cooperation and also on how to operationalise the conversion of Cabo Verde’s debt into environmental projects, a project that dates from the past but was confirmed by the prime minister, Luís Montenegro, on his visit to Cabo Verde”, in April.
The Minister for the Environment and Energy is today accompanying Cabo Verde’s Minister for Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, at the inauguration of the Santa Cruz Environmental Education Centre, which will also serve as a platform for sustainability and resilience in the municipality.
This project, funded and carried out under the Cooperation Programme between Cabo Verde and Portugal (PEC 2021-2024), represents a total investment of 187,500 euros and will help raise awareness among the local communities of Pedra Badejo, 35 kilometres north of the capital, Praia.
The Cabo Verdean minister intends to present new projects and expressed “great satisfaction at knowing that the Portuguese Government remains fully interested in continuing this fruitful cooperation”.
The Portuguese minister’s visit “reinforces the mutual commitment of Cabo Verde and Portugal to tackling shared environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development”, the Ministry added, in a note on the visit.
Maria da Graça Carvalho will also represent the Government before the Portuguese community in Praia, at the celebration of 10 June (Portugal Day) at the Embassy of Portugal, an occasion that will pay tribute to Ambassador Paulo Lourenço, who died in May of a heart attack.
In 2023, Portugal committed to being the first participant in Cabo Verde’s climate fund, with 12 million euros.
The amount corresponds to the sum that would be paid by the Cabo Verdean State as capital repayment under the Cabo Verde Debt Consolidation Contract with Portugal, signed on 1 February 2022.
In this case, the money is earmarked for projects related to strengthening renewable energies, so that Cabo Verde comes closer to the Government’s target of 50% production by 2030.
Converting debt into climate finance has been cited as an example to follow by Portugal and the Cabo Verdean Government in several international forums.