The recently announced energy efficiency support programs, indicates the Minister of the Environment, will only serve as a “bridge” until new ones can be launched under this umbrella.

“We have to present the plan for what we are going to do until June 2025 and it starts in June 2026”, explained the Minister of the Environment, speaking to CNN Portugal. This fund will serve “to help the just transition and the energy transition, very focused on buildings and transport”. A similar purpose to the recently announced energy efficiency support programs, with a budget of around 100 million.

In 2025, as the minister had previously announced, there will be two lines of financing: one similar to the old “windows” program, but with the novelty of including small household appliances and aimed in particular at vulnerable families; and another dedicated to communities, neighbourhoods and condominiums, for investment in the external arrangement of buildings and green spaces, once again focusing on vulnerable populations. In total, there are “at least” 100 million for these programs.

The Social Climate Fund will be fed by revenue raised from emission licenses for the buildings and road transport sectors, expecting to deliver 65 billion euros to Member States between 2026 and 2032, according to the European Commission website.

According to the minister, this amount of funds and programs to combat energy poverty and investment in energy efficiency is justified for two reasons. On the one hand, there is pressure from European directives, which foresee that by 2032 buildings will be “completely redesigned” in terms of energy efficiency. On the other hand, he says that “it is very beneficial for everyone to have greater thermal comfort”, especially because energy poverty “also has an impact on the health of the Portuguese”.