Águeda: For a greener and more sustainable future

On its journey to becoming the European Green Leaf 2026, Águeda continues to stand out as an examplary model of best practices and community involvement.

The recent kayak and ecoplogging walk initiative, part of the preparations for this milestone year, is another concrete example of the municipality's efforts to build a greener, more sustainable and participatory territory.

During the European Mobility Week 2025, the Águeda city council organised another edition of this initiative, combining environmental awareness, sustainable mobility and active citizenship. In partnership with the Associação Juvenil Hugo Costa, the event gathered around 60 volunteers who navigated the Águeda River and collected 42 kilogrammes of waste, directly contributing to cleaning and preserving local ecosystems.

More than just a leisure activity, this initiative symbolises the municipality’s commitment to involving the community in its environmental policies. Throughout the year, similar initiatives have led to the removal of over 110 kilogrammes of waste from the municipality's rivers and riverbanks, thanks to the involvement of around 250 green ambassadors.

As recognition for the participants’ dedication, the municipality gifted each volunteer a recycling kit and a medal, symbolising the importance of extending good environmental practices into everyday life.

This action is part of Águeda's broader sustainability strategy. Major projects such as LIFE Águeda and LIFE Revive (soon to begin) have contributed to the renaturalisation of the Águeda and Alfusqueiro rivers, the ecological restoration of habitats and the control of invasive species, thereby promoting biodiversity and enhancing the environmental value of riverbanks.

Recently, the Municipality secured EUR 10.2 million in funding for the redevelopment of the riverbanks and the Pateira de Fermentelos – a crucial project for dredging and improving water quality, reinforcing the balance between ecological preservation and tourism enhancement.

“Sustainability is a cross-cutting priority of municipal action, and this activity – along with many other river and stream rehabilitation practices across the municipality – reflects the spirit of participation and environmental awareness we want to cultivate in Águeda. We want Águeda to remain a model of environmental best practices, not only in Portugal but also across Europe,” stated Jorge Almeida, Mayor of Águeda.

A municipality that inspires best practices

Águeda has been establishing itself as a national benchmark in sustainability. Among the many initiatives are Águeda Recicla+, which mobilises companies and institutions toward circular economy practices, and an environmental month, which annually engages schools, associations and citizens in environmental education and awareness activities. These efforts have been widely recognised: Águeda ranks among the top three most sustainable municipalities in the country, has been awarded the ECOXXI – Green Flag and received the URBACT Good Practices Seal, which rewards municipalities with innovative sustainability and environmental management policies.

Águeda also holds a Municipal Sustainability Index of 67.0 points, above the national, regional and comparable municipality averages. The study, conducted by CESOP of the Catholic University, evaluated the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda through 159 indicators, covering 74 targets that reflect the most demanding objectives in environmental, social, economic and governance areas. These results demonstrate that Águeda is building a sustainable and competitive future based on inclusive, innovative and transparent policies.

All these initiatives show that the municipality of Águeda has successfully transformed good intentions into tangible results, with cleaner rivers, revitalised natural spaces and a community increasingly aware, active and committed to sustainability.

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