The Regional Director for Energy highlighted in Lisbon the "alignment of the regional energy policy with the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 2050 (RNC 2050)." According to her, the Azores "play an important role in reaching carbon neutrality, through the accomplishment of the targets applicable in the Region, which take into consideration the specificities and natural resources of the nine islands; priority will be given to the safety of supply."
 
Andreia Carreiro spoke on the sidelines of the "European Climate Summit 2019," which included the theme event held under RNC2050 - Carbon Neutrality and Fair Transition. On the occasion, she stressed that this "document sets ambitious targets, defining major goals oriented to the national context that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that the balance between emissions and removals from the atmosphere will be zero by 2050. "
 
"The fact that the Azores are an insular and archipelago region requires the existence of nine isolated energy systems without interconnections between them. This prevents a rigorous transposition of the guidelines stipulated for energy matters at national level," said the Regional Director.
 
However, Andreia Carreiro stressed that "the Regional Government's priority is to achieve harmonious and sustainable development in line with the RNC 2050 goals and international commitments, coordinating relevant practices in the fight against climate change. It will be based on a competitive and low-carbon economy that exploits the potentialities of natural resources."
 
In this context, the government official emphasised the legal framework that is being established under the creation of the Azorean Energy Strategy 2030, which aims to ensure the supply of clean, reliable and competitive energy for all citizens. According to her, "investments will be directed to innovative technologies and solutions" in order to "intensify the use of renewable and endogenous energy sources in the Azores, focusing on the electrification of various sectors and promoting the rational use of energy."
 
As an example of the achievement of these objectives, the Regional Director pointed to the investment in photovoltaic energy in the Azores, given the increasing competitiveness of the technology. There are investments under way on Santa Maria and Corvo to increase solar energy production in the national context, converging with the RNC 2050 goals.
 
"The alignment of these policies reinforces the importance of the energy transition we have been undertaking in the Azores. These efforts entail a broad economic and social transformation in a multisectoral approach towards a prosperous, modern and carbon neutral society with benefits for all Azoreans," stressed Andreia Carreiro.