With a view to offsetting CO2 emissions from flights, the European Parliamentary Group ‘Os Verdes| Free European Alliance' (GV|ALE) proposed, in 2022, to the Municipality of Loulé (CML), to finance the carrying out of a planting/reforestation initiative with native trees and shrubs (and the respective maintenance for a minimum period of two years ), on municipally owned land.

CML, within the scope of its Climate Action and Environmental Safeguard policy, embodied in the 'Loulé Municipal Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change' (2016), the 'Loulé Municipal Forest Defense Plan against Fires' (2017), the 'Loulé Municipal Climate Action Plan' (2022), and the 'Sustainability Agenda – Forest, Biodiversity and Rural Development of the Municipality of Loulé 20-25', prioritizes the reinforcement of public green spaces, with emphasis on the development of initiatives planting/reforestation with native species, involving the community and appealing to its participation in the protection and preservation of forests and urban green spaces.

GV|ALE is committed to protecting the climate and the environment, namely by working for the European Union (EU) and the Member States to regulate the forestry sector and define a truly sustainable management of the forest, protect the primary forest area that still exists in the EU, set targets for the restoration of forest ecosystems, and produce and enforce legislation that minimizes the EU's contribution to deforestation and destruction of forests worldwide.

Thus, the proposal presented by GV|ALE was accepted by the CML, with both entities joining efforts to implement it, as soon as the drought situation that seriously affected the mainland in 2022 evolved favorably, in order to enable the survival/maintenance of the species to plant.

With the collaboration of the Association of Forestry Producers of Serra do Caldeirão (APFSC), on January 13, 2023, 58 carob trees and 86 arbutus trees were planted in the southern part (5852 m2) of land owned by the municipality, located in the Azinhal site (Parish of Alte), as well as the improvement of the existing cork oak forest in the northern part (5050 m2) of this land. APFSC will be responsible for the subsequent maintenance of the reforested area, for a minimum period of two years.

It is estimated that this initiative promotes, among other benefits, the fixation of atmospheric CO2, the retention of water in the soil and biodiversity.