It was not just another technological innovation. It was a concrete demonstration of how construction can stop being a source of emissions and become an ally of decarbonization. And, above all, it was an uncomfortable reminder that Portugal has the conditions to do even better.

What has been tested in Germany is simple in its essence. Biomass waste is converted into biogenic carbon and incorporated into precast concrete parts. The result is a material that drastically reduces emissions while fixing carbon inside the building. It is not a theory. It is a real industry, applied to real works, with concrete data: reductions of more than 60 percent in the material footprint and tons of CO₂ captured permanently.

And this is where Portugal stands out, not for the absence of problems, but for the abundance of opportunity. We are one of the European countries with the greatest availability of biomass, as a result of our forests, our agriculture and, unfortunately, also the recurrence of our fires. Every year, we see the accumulation of forest residues increase the risk of fire and represent an environmental and economic cost.

Imagine what it would be like to turn that risk into an advantage. Use the biomass that threatens the country today as a raw material to create advanced building materials. Removing fuel from forests to prevent fires and converting it into biogenic carbon that would be stored in buildings for decades. Create a circular value chain that unites prevention, sustainability, and industry.

Portugal has the perfect conditions to lead this movement. We have universities and research centers capable of developing our own technology. We have construction companies looking for differentiation and new solutions. We have industries linked to wood and biomass that already dominate the collection and transformation process. And we have a real estate sector that, whether we like it or not, will have to comply with increasingly demanding environmental standards.

What is missing is not potential. It is vision, coordination, and investment. It is the ambition to turn our climate challenges into a competitive advantage. It is important to understand that decarbonizing construction is not just a trend; it is an economic imperative.

Portugal can position itself as a reference in the creation of concrete with biogenic carbon. You can unite fire prevention, industrial innovation, and sustainability in one move. It can create an economic chain that does not exist in most European countries.

The question is no longer whether this is possible. The question is when we want to start. Because if we do not take advantage of this opportunity now, others will take it for us.