Azores to host Environmental Education Days in Horta alongside Regional Environmental Meeting for the first time - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, chaired the opening session of the 16th edition of the Regional Environmental Education Meeting, held for the first time in conjunction with the Environmental Education Days, one of the most significant national events dedicated to promoting environmental literacy. The event runs until Thursday, October 2, in Horta.

Alonso Miguel noted that "the Regional Government is pleased to host the 31st edition of the Environmental Education Days in the Azores, specifically in Horta. This national event will take place simultaneously with the 16th Regional Environmental Education Meeting, in collaboration with the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, the Portuguese Association for Environmental Education, the GeoAçores Association and the Blue Flag Association for the Environment and Education." 

"Our planet faces increasingly complex and emerging challenges, such as climate change, environmental pollution, the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity loss, with worrying environmental, economic and social consequences," emphasised the government official.

The Regional Secretary for the Environment recalled that the United Nations General Assembly declared the 2021-2030 period as the "Decade of Ecosystem Restoration." He added that it is "necessary and urgent to rethink consumption patterns, ensure more responsible behaviour and bring about a paradigm shift, accelerating the ecological transition, as advocated in the European Green Deal and in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations."

Alonso Miguel stated that "in responding to these challenges, the Azorean Government has developed a wide range of public policies, projects and actions, always with a view to ensuring the sustainable development of the nine islands."

"Examples of this commitment include the development of Roadmaps for the Circular Economy and Carbon Neutrality in the Azores, the restructuring and modernisation of the Azores Waste Processing Centres, the implementation of the Azores Regional Climate Change Programme, the creation of the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network, and the development of various nature conservation projects, with special emphasis on the LIFE Projects currently underway in the Region," he listed.

The Regional Secretary acknowledged that, "nevertheless, the key to success in sustainable development lies in environmental education, which, due to its cross-cutting nature, plays a privileged role in promoting responsible sustainable attitudes and values."

For Alonso Miguel, “this event, which combines these two initiatives, at a regional and national level, is a unique opportunity to consolidate the importance of environmental education in the context of sustainable community development, a topic of paramount importance to the Azores.”

The government official also noted that "environmental literacy is one of the fundamental pillars of the mission of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, seeking to raise awareness of environmental challenges, foster a sense of belonging and individual responsibility, and ensure the protection and enhancement of the Azores' extraordinary natural heritage."

“Environmental education is a shared responsibility, fundamental to building a more conscious, informed and responsible society, where schools play an essential role in training citizens capable of exercising active and critical citizenship committed to the future of our planet,” he added.

During this meeting, the School Environmental Awareness Activities Programme for the 2025/2026 school year will also be presented. The initiative is targeted at all schools in the Region.

The government official revealed that it will be "an even richer and more diverse programme, comprising 65 different activities, including interpretive trails, games, exhibitions, educational games and guided tours to Environmental Centres. They will cover topics such as nature conservation, climate change, natural hazards, waste and the circular economy."

Since the implementation of this programme in 2022, around 2,600 activities have been organised, involving more than 56,000 young people across all islands in the archipelago. "This result confirms the success and impact of this initiative on the environmental education of younger generations," concluded Alonso Miguel.

In addition to the Eco-Schools Award ceremony, the four-day event will feature a series of lectures, presentations, round tables and workshops focusing on geodiversity as a starting point for discussing other topics such as natural resource management, climate change, climate justice, geological risk management and the role of ecosystem services. It brings together several experts of recognised national and international prestige.