Last Friday, May 20th, in the city of Quarteira, the public deed of incorporation of the Adapt.local Association – Network of Municipalities for Local Adaptation to Climate Change was signed, in the presence of the notary Sérgio Relvas of the Cartório Notarial de Vilamoura.

Thus, the national network that since 2016 encourages Portuguese municipalities to implement measures to adapt to climate change within its framework of action gives way to a non-profit association governed by private law, allowing, through this legal figure, to expand the scope and modus operandi.

The host of this ceremony, Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé and chairman of the coordinating council of the network (now association), spoke to the partners, underlining the importance of this moment: “The fact that we are an association gives us another flexibility and another capacity for dialogue with a series of entities, the Government itself, companies, among others. From now on we have the legal profile to be able to scale our work”.

Following the ClimAdaPT.Local project, the National Network of Municipalities for Local Adaptation to Climate Change was formally created through the signing of the respective Letter of Commitment by 30 Portuguese municipalities, in December 2016, in Coimbra, involving other entities such as higher education institutions, research centres, non-governmental organizations and companies.

Like this one, the association now formed aims to boost local adaptation to climate change in Portugal, promoting continuous planning processes that accompany the increase in the capacity of Portuguese municipalities and other entities - public or private - to incorporate this matter in its action policies and in its planning instruments. Thus, the importance of local scale and networking for the design and implementation of more effective, efficient and equitable adaptation solutions is affirmed.

Loulé, Amarante, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Castelo de Vide, Coruche, Figueira da Foz, Funchal, Guimarães, Ílhavo, Lagos, Leiria, Mafra, Odemira, Sintra, Torres Vedras, Viana do Castelo and Vila Franca do Campo, were the signatories of the deed of incorporation. Soon other municipalities will join this “new” association that is strongly involved in one of the greatest challenges that Humanity faces.

At this reception, the Mayor of Loulé invited those present to visit the exhibition “Com os Pés na Terra e as Mãos no Mar – 6000 anos de História de Quarteira” and offered representatives of the municipalities present a copy of the Municipal Climate Action Plan of the Municipality of Loulé, the first to be approved by the Municipal Assembly in the country, leaving the hope that this document “may be inspiring” for the municipalities, which will have a period of two years to implement their own plan (according to the new Climate Base Law). “More than competing, it is important to collaborate, share and cooperate”, said the official from Loulé.