The Municipality of Baião received, on November 7th, in a ceremony held at the Taguspark Congress Center, in Oeiras, the ECOXXI Green Flag, awarded by the Blue Flag Association for Environment and Education, in recognition of the adoption of good practices in the field of development sustainable. The distinction is based on the evaluation of 21 local sustainability indicators, recognizing as Eco-municipalities those that demonstrate the implementation of the best policies around themes considered key, such as environmental education for sustainable development; nature conservation; air; water; energy; mobility; noise; agriculture; tourism and territorial planning, among others.
“It is a recognition that makes us proud and encourages, within the scope of the strategy of positioning Baião as a sustainable destination, highlighting the municipality’s effort and commitment to complying with the guidelines towards an increasingly better future for all residents of Baião. The attribution of the Green Flag follows a gradual process, with demanding criteria, which we are complying with, demonstrating that we are on the right path, but always aware that we have room to improve, continuing to commit to this”, explained the Mayor, Paulo Pereira.
To apply for ECOXXI, the municipality provided information regarding the actions, activities and sustainability policies implemented, which is evaluated by a group of experts who are part of the National Commission, where 34 institutions are represented. The result of the application is summarized in a global percentage index of sustainability policies according to the ECOXXI benchmark.
Out of a total of 66 candidates, 59 municipalities were distinguished, with the municipalities that obtained an ECOXXI index equal to or greater than 50% being awarded in the 21 sustainability indicators. Baião’s indicator stands at 67%, from which indicator 12 stands out, relating to Nature Conservation (Biodiversity and Geodiversity), which places it among the best classified municipalities, with a focus on the River Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project Ovil.
Representing the municipality, members of the Green Team were present, the team responsible for the certification process of Baião as a Sustainable Tourist Destination and the convergence with the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).