"Green Map" Portugal: Investment in Renewables

The 'Green Map' is a strategic initiative from the Portuguese Government, announced by the Ministry of Environment and Energy in 2025, aimed at accelerating investment and licensing of solar and onshore wind projects, giving investors greater predictability and legal certainty.

Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (ZAER)

The map identifies ZAER areas with lower environmental, heritage and agricultural sensitivity, with LNEG and other bodies producing Potential Areas (PAER) maps. The key innovation is completing a prior Strategic Environmental Assessment (AAE) for these zones, which can waive or drastically simplify the individual Environmental Impact Assessment (AIA) for each project, also factoring in proximity to existing grid capacity.

The map seeks to protect sensitive areas, such as the Natura 2000 network, high-value agricultural land and biodiversity hotspots, balancing the acceleration of renewables with environmental protection while supporting PNEC 2030 targets and 2050 carbon neutrality.