Portugal submitted its draft National Nature Restoration Plan (NRP) to the European Commission on 28 August, placing the country among the first EU Member States to complete this stage of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. Among the measures proposed for urban ecosystems, the Plan explicitly includes green roofs and green façades as solutions to be integrated into urban regeneration and building renovation. (Ref.1)

What is the National Nature Restoration Plan?

The NRP is the instrument through which Portugal sets out how it intends to meet the targets established under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and strengthening the resilience of territories through to 2050.

Green roofs and green façades in Portugal’s National Nature Restoration Plan

In the Technical Report – Urban Ecosystems (Article 8), green roofs and green façades are explicitly included among the measures proposed for urban nature restoration. The reference can be found in Section 4.3 – “Restoration measures to be implemented”, under Table 13, Axis 5, specifically Measure 07 – “Integrating nature restoration into urban regeneration and renovation”, on page 59 of the published version of the report. (Ref.2)

During the public presentation of the NRP, the Portuguese Government identified Beja, Évora, Leiria, São João da Madeira and Vila Real for an initial phase of urban nature restoration pilot projects, including interventions such as urban tree planting, green corridors, green roofs and green façades, the greening of streets and public squares, and the creation of networks of climate shelters.

What happens next?

The European Commission now has six months to assess the NRP and provide any observations or recommendations. Portugal will then have a further six months to make the necessary adjustments, publish and submit the final version of the Plan, with this stage expected to be completed by August 2027.

The explicit inclusion of green roofs and green façades within this framework therefore represents an important step towards consolidating these solutions within Portugal’s national biodiversity and nature restoration policies, while strengthening their future integration into urban strategies and interventions across the country.