After more than a year of delays, the Belgian federal government and the regions of Flanders, Wallonia, and the Brussels-Capital Region have finalized the approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP).
At the same time, an agreement has also been reached on the distribution of funds from the European Social Climate Fund.
Maron: Lack of ambition and commitment
Negotiations surrounding Belgium’s climate efforts gained momentum again at the beginning of this summer, following the Flemish government’s approval of a new plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.
However, Brussels’ acting environment minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) also considers the new version – the previous one was rejected by the European Commission in June 2024 – to be insufficient. “The NEKP provides for measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42,7% by 2030 compared to 2005 in the so-called ESR sectors (construction, mobility, agriculture), which is still far from the European commitments to which Belgium is subject, namely a 47% reduction.”
Maron also criticizes the Flemish Region’s lack of ambition and the federal government’s lack of commitment to the climate.
Polluting industry receives support, families must economize
Flemish Minister of Energy and Climate Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) denies this. “Over the past few months, we have worked hard in Flanders on an ambitious Flemish plan that is good for the planet and the wallet. We are focusing extra attention on renewable energy, reducing our CO2 emissions, and making electricity cheaper. This will enable us to achieve the emission reduction target set by Europe.”
For your information: With a target reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 40% by 2030, Flanders remains, as Maron says, far from the European targets, and agriculture in Flanders is also allowed to emit half of million tons more CO2 compared to the previous climate plan.
Additionally, the compensation support provided by the Flemish government for large CO2 emitters has increased from € 35 million in 2019 to a record amount of almost € 270 million in 2025. At the same time, the Flemish government is cutting the renovation and EPC label premium for families who want to renovate.
Agreement on the distribution of resources of the EU Social Climate Fund
The federal government and the federal states also reached an agreement on the distribution of Belgian funds from the European Social Climate Fund. Belgium will receive 1,659 billion from this fund between 2026 and 2032. Of this, 13.13% will go to the federal government, 32.95% to Wallonia, 43.42% to Flanders, and 10.5% to the Brussels-Capital Region.
The Social Climate Fund is designed to mitigate the social impacts of anticipated price increases. These increases are likely to result from the extension of the European carbon market (ETS2) to the transport and construction sectors in 2027. The Planning Agency calculated that the system could cost families between €250 and €400 per year.
The plan includes a series of support measures for the most vulnerable families and small businesses, which this new system will most heavily impact.
