The action of the municipality of Santarém in the context of Environment and Sustainable Development has been built on a dynamic that seeks to promote a proactive attitude of the city Environmental, following an integrate view of strategies and a national and European policies.

In the perspective of integration of sustainability policies, the master orientation is the firm commitment to build a society more informed, aware and participatory.

In this respect has been built an Environment Strategy and Sustainable Development based on three strategic vectors.

Education for a Sustainable Development,

Protection, Enhancement of the Environment and efficient management for Natural Resources and promotion of the concept of Sustainable Development.

The municipality is committed to sustainable development:

– Establishing strategic partnerships with external entities in the various environmental areas;

– Involving citizens in environmental issues;

– Motivate sustainable entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of sustainable construction;

– Ensure annual Environmental Education programs aimed at schools from pre-school to higher education;

– Ensure the construction of innovative public policies that promote competitiveness and create jobs in sustainable production systems.

Its pioneering work in promoting the concept of sustainable construction and particularly the LiderA Environmental Certification System stands out. The municipality has established a partnership with Instituto Superior Técnico, the entity responsible for LiderA, and has created a dynamic to involve professionals from the Habitat sector in the dissemination of good practices in construction, with the “Sustainable Construction Day” initiative, which takes place every first Wednesday of each month at Casa do Ambiente.

In the pursuit of exemplarity, the municipality adopted the principles of sustainable construction in the construction of school centers, in which the Alcanede school center obtained LiderA certification, being the first public building certified by this system (a registered Portuguese trademark). Recently, on January 18, 2012, the Municipality of Santarém signed the Cooperation Protocol for Competitiveness and Innovation in Habitat Sustainability with the Platform for Sustainable Construction, of which it has been an associate member since October 2011.

Under the protocol, the two organizations intend to share their experience and the scientific and technical knowledge needed to promote sustainability.

The Municipality undertakes to continue with local strategies for Sustainable Development, taking on the role of promoting and demonstrating actions, projects and dynamics in cooperation with the Platform, aimed at promoting a Sustainable Habitat.