Soure, Portugal, Sept. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, warned on Monday that fuel consumption has been rising by «significant amounts» and argued that people need to save, given that support should be channelled to those who need it.
«Consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel, compared with the same months last year, has been rising by as much as 4 to 6%, which is a significant increase,» she said, emphasising that whilst the figure is not bad, it has come as a surprise to her.
The minister for the environment was speaking in Soure, in the region of Coimbra, during a visit to the restoration works taking place on the River Arunca following the storms at the start of the year, which included the celebration of the municipality's anniversary, on which occasion she was awarded the Gold Medal.
Speaking to journalists, Carvalho emphasised that there have always been savings in fuel consumption compared with other crises similar to the one we are currently experiencing, drawing consumers' attention to the fact that there have sometimes been crises in the past and that other countries have even imposed fuel-saving measures.
«It is important to realise that there is also a role for individuals, every company and every institution to play in saving energy in general and fuel in particular,» she said.
According to the minister, the Government's policy is to offset the revenue gained from VAT against the tax on petroleum products (ISP), and there is also strong support for vulnerable sectors and those that can pass on these costs to the rest of the economy, including agriculture, fisheries, public and freight transport, and the fire service, whilst ensuring «sound public finances» and that aid reaches those who need it.
«We believe that blanket support would help both those who need it and those who do not, and at this moment we must channel it primarily to those who will need it – namely the most vulnerable and those who rely on their car every day to get to work,» she maintained.
She advocated the use of public transport for those who are able to do so, whilst acknowledging that there are situations where this is not possible.
«Wherever possible, it is important that we are mindful of using it [fuel] only for essential purposes, because we are dealing with a scarce resource that we need to conserve,» she emphasised.
Speaking to journalists, she also assured them that the Government has been safeguarding national reserves of jet fuel, which are currently higher than they were a year ago.
«We have over 18% more strategic reserves than we did at this time last year. We have been safeguarding reserves; in any case, it is uncertain what lies ahead,» she noted.
As well as safeguarding reserves, the Government is also «strengthening as much as possible» its relations with supplier countries, the minister said, adding that a visit by the Algerian minister responsible for the fuel sector is planned «very soon» and that they are awaiting the elections in Brazil to resume contact, following several previous visits.
«They are two major suppliers of fossil fuels, alongside Nigeria and the United States, and it is with these four countries that we must maintain a very close relationship and ensure that special attention is paid to our country's situation,» she concluded.
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