Abstract
Humanity depends on energy, and its consumption is directly related to social habits, culture, and quality of life. The population growth and the search for a better quality of life lead to a significant increase in energy consumption worldwide. The energy consumed is mainly produced from fossil fuels with high carbon content, and their reserves are heading toward depletion. To reverse the situation, it is necessary to establish strategies to reduce the economic dependence of countries that do not have these reserves, through the stimulation of energy production from renewable sources, with low carbon content, through the promotion of decarbonization of the energy system. Portugal is a country with scarce fossil energy resources, so the economy heavily depends on the import of fossil fuels, especially oil, thus the use of energy produced from renewable sources becomes relevant. This chapter aims to understand if there is an opportunity to implement SDG 7, namely the exploitation of renewable energy in Portugal, to avoid the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, mitigate the impacts of climate change, protect the environment and human health, and reduce national economic dependence. Based on an analysis of available public official data, it was possible to identify a national strategy to increase the contribution of endogenous renewable sources to energy production. The balance reveals the observable success of this strategy, and it can be concluded that in Portugal endogenous renewable sources are significantly increasing their share of energy production. Even so, the political will has to be more evident so that joint efforts are mobilized around a paradigm shift that wants to be sustainable.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aderinto T, Li H (2018) Ocean wave energy converters: status and challenges. Energies 11:1250
Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente I (2021) As barragens em Portugal. In: Segurança e Barragens. https://apambiente.pt/index.php?ref=16&subref=7&sub2ref=31&sub3ref=1285. Accessed 11 Mar 2021
Alam MM, Mohd Ekhwan T, Siwar C, Talib B (2011) Rainfall variation and changing pattern of agricultural cycle. Am J Environ Sci 7:82–89
Ali A, Audi M, Roussel Y (2021) Natural resources depletion, renewable energy consumption and environmental degradation: a comparative analysis of developed and developing world. Int J Energy Econ Policy 11(3):251–260
APREN (2021) Balanço da Produção de Eletricidade de Portugal Continental. https://www.apren.pt/en/renewable-energies/production. Accessed 11 Mar 2021
Barreira E, Pontes M, Maia R, Oliveira G, Vidal D (2018) Cancro do Pulmão e Poluição: Um Estudo Transversal. Onco News 37:14–19. https://doi.org/10.31877/on.2018.37.02
Bazylevych V, Bazylevych V (2014) Climate change: the major threat of the 21st century. Bull Taras Shevchenko Natl Univ Kyiv Econ 6:11–16. https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2667.2014/159-6/1
BBC News (2002) Portugal opens Europe’s largest dam. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1808734.stm. Accessed 11 Mar 2021
Bilgili F, Koçak E, Bulut Ü, Kuşkaya S (2017) Can biomass energy be an efficient policy tool for sustainable development? Renew Sust Energy Rev 71:830–845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.12.109
Blühdorn I (2016) Sustainability – post-sustainability – unsustainability. In: Gabrielson T, Hall C, Meyer JM, Schlosberg D (eds) The Oxford handbook of environmental political theory. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
BP (2020) BP Energy Outlook. BP, London/Washington, DC
Brundtland GH (1987) Our common future – call for action. Environ Conserv 14:291–294. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892900016805
Bryngemark E (2019) Second generation biofuels and the competition for forest raw materials: a partial equilibrium analysis of Sweden. For Policy Econ 109:102022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.102022
Buonocore JJ, Choma E, Villavicencio AH et al (2019) Metrics for the sustainable development goals: renewable energy and transportation. Palgrave Commun 5. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0336-4
Conceição P (2019) Relatório do Desenvolvimento Humano 2019. In United Nations Development Program. Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento. https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdr2019ptpdf.pdf
da Costa ETPM (2020) Evaluation of alternative feedstocks for bioenergy production in Portugal: non-edible oilseed crops, by-products and wastes. Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto
da Silva GCX, de Abreu CH, Ward ND et al (2020) Environmental impacts of dam reservoir filling in the East Amazon. Front Water 2:11. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2020.00011
Dias JMM (2010) Biodiesel production from wastes: process development and quality. Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto
Dias RC, Seixas PC, Lobner N (2020) Sustainable development and ecological modernization: boundary discourses between “strong” and “weak” approaches. J Sustain Dev 4:268–278. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v13n4p268
Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia (DGEG) (2022) Estatísticas rápidas dos combustíveis fósseis. DGEG, Lisbon
Dunlap RE (2013) Climate change skepticism and denial: an introduction. Am Behav Sci 57:691–698. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213477097
Dyatlov SA, Didenko NI, Ivanova EA et al (2020) Prospects for alternative energy sources in global energy sector. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 434:12014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/434/1/012014
Eisenmenger N, Pichler M, Krenmayr N et al (2020) The Sustainable Development Goals prioritize economic growth over sustainable resource use: a critical reflection on the SDGs from a socio-ecological perspective. Sustain Sci 15:1101–1110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00813-x
Ferreira S, Monteiro E, Brito P, Vilarinho C (2017) Biomass resources in Portugal: current status and prospects. Renew Sust Energy Rev 78:1221–1235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.140
Ferreiro MF, Gonçalves ME, Costa A (2013) Conflicting values and public decision: the Foz Côa case. Ecol Econ 86:129–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.10.006
Filho WL, Vidal DG, Dinis MAP, Dias RC (eds) (2022) Sustainable policies and practices in energy, environment and health research: addressing cross-cutting issues. Springer, Cham
Folmer H, Musu I (1992) Transboundary pollution problems, environmental policy and international cooperation: an introduction. Environ Resour Econ 2:107–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00338238
Franch-Gras L, García-Roger EM, Serra M, José Carmona M (2017) Adaptation in response to environmental unpredictability. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 284:20170427. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0427
Fthenakis V, Kim HC (2009) Land use and electricity generation: a life-cycle analysis. Renew Sust Energy Rev 13:1465–1474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2008.09.017
Gaba A, Iordache SF (2011) Reduction of air pollution by combustion processes. In: Khallaf MK (ed) The impact of air pollution on health, economy, environment and agricultural sources. IntechOpen, London
Gabinete de Estratégias e Estudos (2011) Ficha de competitividade – energia. Gabinete de Estratégias e Estudos, Lisbon
Governo de Portugal (2019) Portugal National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 (NECP 2030). Governo de Portugal, Lisbon
Halkos G, Gkampoura EC (2021) Where do we stand on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? An overview on progress. Econ Anal Policy 70:94–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2021.02.001
Harzing AW, Sebastian Reiche B, Pudelko M (2013) Challenges in international survey research: a review with illustrations and suggested solutions for best practice. Eur J Int Manag 7:112–134. https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIM.2013.052090
Hoffmann W (2014) The economic competitiveness of renewable energy: pathways to 100% global coverage. Wiley, Hoboken
Höök M, Tang X (2013) Depletion of fossil fuels and anthropogenic climate change – a review. Energy Policy 52:797–809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.10.046
Hulme M, Barrow EM, Arnell NW et al (1999) Relative impacts of human-induced climate change and natural climate variability. Nature 397:688–691. https://doi.org/10.1038/17789
IPCC (2018) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global warming of 1.5 °C. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/. Accessed 21 Sep 2020
Jackson RB, Friedlingstein P, Andrew RM et al (2019) Persistent fossil fuel growth threatens the Paris Agreement and planetary health. Environ Res Lett 14:121001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab57b3
Jantz SM, Barker B, Brooks TM et al (2015) Future habitat loss and extinctions driven by land-use change in biodiversity hotspots under four scenarios of climate-change mitigation. Conserv Biol 29:1122–1131. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12549
Jin C-L, Wu Z-M, Wang S-W et al (2017) Economic assessment of biomass gasification and pyrolysis: a review. Energy Sources B Econ Plan Policy 12:1030–1035. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567249.2017.1358309
Lafferty KD (2009) The ecology of climate change and infectious diseases. Ecology 90:888–900. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-0079.1
Lakatos L, Hevessy G, Kovács J (2011) Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy and wind-power utilization. World Futures 67:395–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/02604020903021776
Lelieveld J, Klingmüller K, Pozzer A et al (2019) Effects of fossil fuel and total anthropogenic emission removal on public health and climate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116:7192–7197. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1819989116
Lin T, Rodríguez LF, Shastri YN et al (2014) Integrated strategic and tactical biomass–biofuel supply chain optimization. Bioresour Technol 156:256–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.121
Lourenço MC, Cruz J (2005) Aproveitamentos geotérmicos em Portugal Continental. In: XV Encontro Nacional do Colégio de Engenharia Geológica e de Minas da Ordem dos Engenheiros. Ordem dos Engenheiros, Ponta Delgada, Açores, pp 1–9
Mao G, Huang N, Chen L, Wang H (2018) Research on biomass energy and environment from the past to the future: a bibliometric analysis. Sci Total Environ 635:1081–1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.173
Martins F, Felgueiras C, Smitková M (2018) Fossil fuel energy consumption in European countries. Energy Procedia 153:107–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2018.10.050
Mattiazzo G (2019) State of the art and perspectives of wave energy in the Mediterranean Sea: backstage of ISWEC. Front Energy Res 7:114. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2019.00114
Meinshausen M, Meinshausen N, Hare W et al (2009) Greenhouse-gas emission targets for limiting global warming to 2°C. Nature 458:1158–1162. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08017
Mendes LFB (2015) Produção de biodiesel, situação atual e perspetivas futuras. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon
Michener WK, Blood ER, Bildstein KL et al (1997) Climate change, hurricanes and tropical storms, and rising sea level in coastal wetlands. Ecol Appl 7:770–801. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1997)007[0770:CCHATS]2.0.CO;2
Milanović PT (2012) Dam engineering and its environmental aspects. In: Meyers RA (ed) Encyclopedia of sustainability science and technology. Springer, New York, pp 2788–2804
Moya D, Aldás C, Kaparaju P (2018) Geothermal energy: power plant technology and direct heat applications. Renew Sust Energy Rev 94:889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.06.047
Mulvaney D, Richards RM, Bazilian MD et al (2021) Progress towards a circular economy in materials to decarbonize electricity and mobility. Renew Sust Energy Rev 137:110604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110604
Nascimento AP, Santos JM, Mill JG et al (2020) Association between the incidence of acute respiratory diseases in children and ambient concentrations of SO2, PM10 and chemical elements in fine particles. Environ Res 188:109619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109619
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2016) Pathways to urban sustainability: challenges and opportunities for the United States. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) (2001) Renewable energy: an overview. NREL, Merrifield
Nunes LJR, Causer TP, Ciolkosz D (2020) Biomass for energy: a review on supply chain management models. Renew Sust Energy Rev 120:109658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.109658
OECD (2020) Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2021: a new way to invest for people and planet. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris
Olabi AG, Mahmoud M, Soudan B et al (2020) Geothermal based hybrid energy systems, toward eco-friendly energy approaches. Renew Energy 147:2003–2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.09.140
Oliveira GM, Lemos de Sousa MJ (2015) Energia e Ambiente: perspetivas atuais. Energy Futures 7:36–51
Oliveira GM, Vidal DG, Ferraz MP et al (2019) Measuring health vulnerability: an interdisciplinary indicator applied to mainland Portugal. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16:1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214121
Oliveira GM, Vidal DG, Ferraz MP (2020a) Urban lifestyles and consumption patterns. In: Filho WL, Azul AM, Brandli L et al (eds) Sustainable cities and communities, Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham, pp 851–860
Oliveira GM, Vidal DG, Maia RL et al (2020b) O que significa descarbonizar? Uma visão da sociedade atual sem energia fóssil. In: Araújo E, Ribeiro R, Silva M (eds) Sustentabilidade e Descarbonização: Desafios Práticos. CECS – Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Braga, pp 9–27
Oliveira GM, Vidal DG, Maia RL (2020c) Monitoring Portuguese living conditions at local scale: a case study based on sustainable development indicators. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 27:140–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2019.1678204
Perera FP (2017) Multiple threats to child health from fossil fuel combustion: impacts of air pollution and climate change. Environ Health Perspect 125:141–148. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP299
Perera F (2018) Pollution from fossil-fuel combustion is the leading environmental threat to global pediatric health and equity: solutions exist. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15(1):16
Peters J, Thielmann S (2008) Promoting biofuels: implications for developing countries. Energy Policy 36:1538–1544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.01.013
Peters GP, Andrew RM, Canadell JG et al (2017) Key indicators to track current progress and future ambition of the Paris Agreement. Nat Clim Chang 7:118–122. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3202
Peterson B, Saxon A (1996) Global increases in allergic respiratory disease: the possible role of diesel exhaust particles. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 77:263–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63318-2
Raman P, Mande S, Kishore VVN (2001) A passive solar system for thermal comfort conditioning of buildings in composite climates. Sol Energy 70:319–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-092X(00)00147-X
Raupach MR, Marland G, Ciais P et al (2007) Global and regional drivers of accelerating CO2 emissions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:10288–10293. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0700609104
Rebollar PBM (2011) Energias Renováveis: Energia Hídrica. Editora Unisul, Florianópolis
Richter BD, Thomas GA (2007) Restoring environmental flows by modifying dam operations. Ecol Soc 12:1–26. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02014-120112
Rissman J, Bataille C, Masanet E et al (2020) Technologies and policies to decarbonize global industry: review and assessment of mitigation drivers through 2070. Appl Energy 266:114848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.114848
Ritchie H, Roser M (2019a) Fossil fuels. In: Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels. Accessed 11 Mar 2021
Ritchie H, Roser M (2019b) Renewable energy. In: Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/renewable-energy. Accessed 11 Mar 2021
Rockström J, Gaffney O, Rogelj J et al (2017) A roadmap for rapid decarbonization. Science 355:1269–1271. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah3443
Rokni E, Ren X, Panahi A, Levendis YA (2018) Emissions of SO2, NOx, CO2, and HCl from CO-firing of coals with raw and torrefied biomass fuels. Fuel 211:363–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2017.09.049
Saidur R, Rahim NA, Islam MR, Solangi KH (2011) Environmental impact of wind energy. Renew Sust Energy Rev 15:2423–2430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2011.02.024
Sampaio PGV, González MOA (2017) Photovoltaic solar energy: conceptual framework. Renew Sust Energy Rev 74:590–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.02.081
Sánchez-Pantoja N, Vidal R, Pastor MC (2018) Aesthetic impact of solar energy systems. Renew Sust Energy Rev 98:227–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.09.021
Saygın M, Gonca T, Öztürk Ö et al (2017) To investigate the effects of air pollution (PM10 and SO(2)) on the respiratory diseases asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Turk Thorac J 18:33–39. https://doi.org/10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2017.16016
Schaffartzik A, Duro JA, Krausmann F (2019) Global appropriation of resources causes high international material inequality – growth is not the solution. Ecol Econ 163:9–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.008
Stram BN (2016) Key challenges to expanding renewable energy. Energy Policy 96:728–734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.05.034
Ugochukwu CNC, Ertel J (2008) Negative impacts of oil exploration on biodiversity management in the Niger De Area of Nigeria. Impact Assess Proj Apprais 26:139–147. https://doi.org/10.3152/146155108X316397A
United Nations (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, A/RES/70/1. United Nations, Geneva
Van Aalst MK (2006) The impacts of climate change on the risk of natural disasters. Disasters 30:5–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2006.00303.x
Vargo LJ, Anderson BM, Dadić R et al (2020) Anthropogenic warming forces extreme annual glacier mass loss. Nat Clim Chang 10:856–861. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0849-2
Ventura AC, Célio JSA, de Almeida ACA (2011) Soluções locais para problemas globais: análise de possíveis contribuições das tecnologias sociais para a mitigação do aquecimento global. Rev Ciênc Adm 17:768–795. https://ojs.unifor.br/rca/article/view/3292
Vohra K, Vodonos A, Schwartz J et al (2021) Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: results from GEOS-Chem. Environ Res 195:110754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110754
Wang S, Wang S (2015) Impacts of wind energy on environment: a review. Renew Sust Energy Rev 49:437–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.04.137
Wang Z, Hoffmann T, Six J et al (2017) Human-induced erosion has offset one-third of carbon emissions from land cover change. Nat Clim Chang 7:345–349. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3263
Wood N, Roelich K (2019) Tensions, capabilities, and justice in climate change mitigation of fossil fuels. Energy Res Soc Sci 52:114–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.02.014
Ziai A (2016) Development discourse and global history. Routledge, New York
Acknowledgements
Diogo Guedes Vidal participated in this work in the scope of the European project-PHOENIX: The rise of citizen’s voices for a Greener Europe- (contract ID: 101037328) funded by the European Commission under the EGD-European research priority Green Deal of the H2020 Program (H2020-EU.3.6).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Ferraz, M.P., Vidal, D.G., Dias, R.C., Seixas, P.C. (2023). Renewable Energy Transition in Portugal, Balance, and Perspectives: Opportunities for SDG 7. In: Leal Filho, W., Dinis, M.A.P., Moggi, S., Price, E., Hope, A. (eds) SDGs in the European Region . Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals – Regional Perspectives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_1-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_1-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-91261-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-91261-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences