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Covenant of Mayors - Europe

Leading by example: Guimarães’ approach to decarbonisation

Guimarães, Portugal

It is Guimarães’ goal to detox the heating and cooling sector in order to save energy, become more resilient, and create an environment of comfort and wellbeing for its citizens.

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heating and cooling
Mitigation
Mission City
Green Capital

Guimarães, often referred to as the birthplace of Portugal, is a historic city in the North that blends rich heritage with modern dynamism. Its well-preserved medieval centre contrasts with its vibrant, forward-thinking spirit. After previously earning the titles of European Capital of Culture and European City of Sports, Guimarães is now vying to become Europe's Green Capital for 2026, as a finalist for the Award. The city is also one of the 112 cities committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2030 as part of the EU's Cities Mission.

The impact of heating and cooling

Though located in Southern Europe, Guimarães recognises the significant impact heating has on emissions. Moreover, already facing increasingly extreme temperature ranges, the city understands the growing importance of both heating and cooling in the future. It is Guimarães’ goal to address this key sector in order to save energy, become more resilient, and create an environment of comfort and wellbeing for its citizens.

A collective effort

Guimarães has assumed the bold objective of becoming climate-neutral in the next six years, thus aiming to fully decarbonise its heating and cooling systems by then. To reach this goal, everyone must be on board, which is why the city is involving the private sector in its decarbonisation journey and investing in raising awareness amongst citizens around the importance of this mission.

Leading by example

The municipality is making efforts to motivate its citizens to take part in the transition by leading by example. Since 2013, all public building must be net-zero, and in 2017 a new public building, the Gymnastics Academy, was built to be self-sustainable.

Guimarães’ plan for a decarbonised heating sector

The city’s decarbonisation strategy revolves around the adoption of electrified heat pumps, complemented by the development of energy communities powered by renewable sources. These communities will contribute to the decarbonisation of the electric system. With a history of using renewable energy since 1912, Guimarães is well-versed in these technologies. The city is already leveraging hydroelectric power, biomass from public green waste, and photovoltaic panels to further its sustainability goals.

The next steps on the detox journey

One of the most important steps in Guimarães’ heat detox is the increase of energy efficiency and thermal comfort in the city’s public buildings. The “Bairro C-Compromisso Carbono Zero” (or, Neighbourhood C, Zero Carbon Compromise) will be the pilot project for these interventions, and it encompasses the downtown area classified as UNESCO World Heritage.

Main challenges to detoxify heat:

  1. Getting financial support
  2. Raising awareness amongst citizens
  3. Having adequate technology 

Next steps:

  1. Increase energy efficiency and thermal comfort in existing public buildings
  2. Promote the use of more sustainable technologies in the heating and cooling of the city’s building stock  
  3. Integrate smart systems to better adapt to extreme climate conditions 

Where they are in the heat strategy

Guimarães’s Heat Detox

Key Heat Figures:

  • Emissions related to heating: 35,497 tCO2/year
    • Reduced 13,764 tCO2/year 

Covenant Figures:

  • Signatory to the Covenant of Mayors since: 2013
  • Emission reduction ambitions:  
    • % GHG emissions reductions by 2030: 80% 

City Awards:

  • Mission city
  • Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) - A List Adaptation and Mitigation (2024)
  • Finalist for EU Green Capital 2025 and 2026

Financing your heat strategy

Budget: Own Municipal Budget and National and European Budget 

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