Wizz Air successfully tested SAF on more than 50 flights

January 17, 2025

Hungarian low-budget airline company Wizz Air, which operates at Charleroi Airport (Belgium), has “successfully” tested sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on more than fifty flights. Wizz Air operated more than fifty flights using a blend of SAF and traditional jet fuel and also surveyed passengers to gauge awareness and attitudes toward low-carbon aviation, including SAF. The […]

ECA: ‘European cities have cleaner air but are still far too noisy’

January 16, 2025

A new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) reveals that the European Union will probably not successfully reduce traffic noise in European cities in time.  The European target is a 30 percent noise reduction by 2030. According to calculations, this figure will fall by 19 percent in the best case and rise by […]

Acerta: ‘Bicycle use for commuting has grown 35% in five years’

January 15, 2025

According to human resources service provider Acerta’s latest mobility barometer, bicycles are gaining popularity among Belgian commuters. Today, two-wheelers account for 41.2 percent of commutes, compared to 30.5 percent five years ago. About 15 percent of Belgian employees complete their entire commute by bike. This share (17.3 percent) is much higher among Flemish employees than […]

Belgian and Dutch owners hope to break Tesla light show world-record

January 15, 2025

On Sunday, February 23rd, the Tesla Owners Clubs of Belgium and the Netherlands will organize a world-record Tesla Light Show attempt on the Droneport runway in Sint-Truiden. All Tesla owners from Europe are welcome. The initiators aim to gather at least 1,000 Tesla cars for a synchronized light show.“The show will be created by the […]

DEME wins €300 million contract for Taiwan offshore wind farm substation

January 14, 2025

Belgian dredging company DEME has won a contract to transport and install foundations and an offshore substation for a wind farm in Taiwan. The contract is worth between 150 and 300 million euros. The works are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. DEME’s Taiwanese joint venture CDWE will transport and install 33 jacket foundations, […]

Telenet first commercial partner to offer Belgian rail’s Blue-bikes

January 14, 2025

Belgium’s most significant cable broadband service provider, Telenet, plans to offer a bicycle-sharing point on its property in Mechelen. Blue-bike shared bicycles can usually be found in public places in Mechelen, such as the station areas. Soon, the company will provide this type of shared mobility on-site at its headquarters for every employee and also […]

Copernicus C3S: ‘2024 was hottest year on record worldwide’

January 10, 2025

2024 was the hottest year on record, and this has now been officially confirmed. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) confirms that 2024 was the hottest year on record worldwide and the first calendar year in which the average global temperature exceeded pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5°C. The hottest day on record was also […]

SD Worx: ‘Fewer Belgian company cars for the second year’

January 09, 2025

In 2024, the number of company cars fell for the second year. The share of employees with a company car dropped slightly, to 14% or one in seven. The decline occurred in all regions and sectors but was most pronounced among young people (up to 30 years old). Also, the fleet’s greening continued. These are […]

Smartphone use: West Flanders revoked over 2,000 driver’s licenses

January 09, 2025

Over 2,000 driver’s licenses have been revoked in West Flanders in the past seven months for using mobile phones while driving. “A strict approach remains necessary to implement a change in mentality and make our roads safer,” says Crown prosecutor Filiep Jodts of the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office. That is also why the West […]

Traxio: ‘+11,7% new motorcycle registrations in 2024’

January 08, 2025

The new motorcycle market performed well last year. In 2024, the number of new motorcycles continued to increase to 28,330 units, an increase of + 11.7% (2,971 units) compared to 2023 and even +14.8% (3,647) more than in 2022. This makes 2024 the best of the past 15 years. The most popular brand was Honda […]

Bosch’s digital eBike battery protection sidelines thieves

January 07, 2025

Bosch eBike Systems has presented its latest novelty, the Battery Lock, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Battery Lock is a unique digital system that ensures that the eBike battery can no longer be used if stolen, making it worthless to thieves. Gregor Dasbach, Head of Digital Business at Bosch eBike Systems: […]

In 2023, ‘only’ 5,485 Belgian drivers fined for tailgating

January 06, 2025

In 2023, 5,485 motorists, vans, and trucks in Belgium were fined for not respecting sufficient distance from the vehicle in front. Tailgating, however, is a dangerous and antisocial phenomenon. Mobility organization VAB recently surveyed its members about the biggest annoyances they experience in traffic. The top three irritations included people not using turn signals (1), […]

Belgian electricity production at lowest level in six years

January 03, 2025

According to newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd, last year, for the first time since 2016, less renewable energy was produced than in the previous year. Because nuclear energy was scaled back and gas-fired power stations operated minimally, total power production in Belgium fell to the lowest level in six years. 2024 was also a year […]

Traxio: ‘Highest number of used car registrations since 2015’

January 03, 2025

Last year, used car registrations increased by 5.6% (to 727,650 units) – 38,480 more than last year, 84,981 more than in 2022, and the highest number since 2015. Expectations are that the second-hand car market will remain high in the coming years. The number of new cars fell in 2024, but the decline was only […]

‘Switching off wind and solar costed Dutch 250 million m2 in extra gas’

January 03, 2025

By temporarily switching off wind turbines and solar panels, approximately three terawatt hours of green energy was lost last year, three times as much as a year earlier. The Dutch Energy Generation platform (Energieopwek) calculated this in its annual overview for 2024. The lost sustainable power amounts to about 2.5 percent of the country’s total […]

Flanders to punish phone use behind the wheel with 15-day driving ban

December 31, 2024

From January 1st, drivers in Flanders will lose their driver’s licenses when caught using their cell phones while driving. The measure was already in force in some parts of Flanders – East and West Flanders, Limburg, and the Halle-Vilvoorde region – but it now applies throughout the Flemish part of the country. “Given the many […]

IRCEL: ‘Belgium’s air quality better, but still far from WHO’s advise values’

December 30, 2024

Belgium’s air quality in 2024 was comparable to that in 2023. Nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter concentrations decreased slightly, and there were fewer ozone days in 2024. In the long term, air quality has improved significantly. However, achieving the WHO health advice values ​​in all Belgian areas is still far out of reach. According to […]

Driver’s license becoming less popular in Belgium

December 30, 2024

Fewer and fewer Belgian citizens are getting their driver’s licenses. Last year, about 120,000 people got their driver’s license, 9 percent less than in 2000. In Brussels, there is even a decrease of almost 27 percent. The average age at which someone obtains his driver’s license has also increased by several months: from 21 years […]

Western Scheldt Tunnel in Terneuzen partly toll-free

December 27, 2024

From January 1st, the Western Scheldt Tunnel will be partially toll-free. Motorists and motorcyclists will no longer have to pay to pass through the 6.6-kilometer-long tunnel under the Western Scheldt between Terneuzen in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Zuid-Beveland. However, vehicles higher than three meters will continue to pay tolls. A standard ticket for small buses and vans […]

No Christmas for JLR’s ‘Rudy the Robot’ at -40°C’

December 23, 2024

Mistletoe, jingle bells, good food, and drinks… but unfortunately, for some of us, duty calls. That is the sad fate of Rudy the Robot, JanguarLandRover’s automated colleague who must work hard this Christmas. Rudy was tasked with subjecting vehicle doors to intensive tests in extreme weather conditions. Before a vehicle is approved, Rudy carries out […]

Colruyt’s Virya invests €60 millions in Walloon green hydrogen factory

December 20, 2024

Virya Energy, the energy holding company of the Colruyt family and the retail group of the same name, will receive a 25 million euro subsidy from the Walloon government for a green hydrogen project in Engis, Liège. The project is called Vallhyège, referring to “une vallée de l’hydrogène vert” (a valley of green hydrogen) in […]

Record global use of coal due to growing power consumption

December 19, 2024

Global use of coal to generate electricity rose to a record high of 8.77 billion tons this year. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, almost one-third was burned in Chinese power plants. Due to the energy transition, electricity use is proliferating in many countries. Electricity is increasingly used for applications such as […]

Fietsberaad Vlaanderen presents five measures for safe bicycle traffic

December 18, 2024

Fietsberaad Vlaanderen, the Flemish knowledge center for cycling policy in Flanders, recently presented five measures for local authorities to improve bicycle traffic safety on their territory. Among the measures are lowering speed in built-up areas from 50 to 30 km/hour, introducing a circulation plan, or creating separate cycle paths. The study’s results are helpful for […]

VREG: ‘Families will pay on average €120 extra for electricity in 2025’

December 18, 2024

The Flemish energy regulator VREG has approved the new distribution network rates for the Flemish electricity and natural gas invoice. On average, electricity rates will increase by 120 euros (+33%), and for natural gas, by around 15 euros (+6%). A revision of the grid rates will increase electricity costs for an average family by one-third. […]

BMW to fill up new diesel cars with 100% hydrotreated vegetable oil

December 17, 2024

From the beginning of next year, BMW will fill all newly built diesel cars leaving the factory in Germany with HVO100, a hydrotreated vegetable oil made from rapeseed oil or waste-based feedstock such as used cooking oil, residues, and other renewable raw materials. HVO100 has a higher cetane number (c80) than standard diesel and has […]

Antwerp confirms to build bicycle bridge over river Scheldt

December 16, 2024

According to the new administrative agreement between N-VA and Vooruit in Antwerp, the controversial quay tunnel at Steenplein will not be built. Instead, a bicycle bridge over Scheldt will be built, with a 25 km/hour speed limit for bicycle paths. Last weekend, Bart De Wever (N-VA) and Kathleen Van Brempt (Vooruit) proposed the new agreement. […]

SD Worx: ‘Tax increases slightly for fossil company cars’

December 13, 2024

The tax on the private use of a diesel or gasoline company car – the so-called taxable ‘benefit in kind’, (Voordeel Alle Aard, VAA – will increase in 2025. According to human resources service provider SD Worx, a few euros are added monthly. You ‘get’ a car from work but must pay taxes on its […]

‘Tourism responsible for 8.8% of global CO2 emissions in 2019’

December 12, 2024

According to a new study by Nature Communications, tourism turnover almost doubled between 2009 and 2019, representing an annual growth of 5.5 percent. However, this strong growth is accompanied by a carbon footprint of 5.2 gigatons of CO2 equivalent or 8.8 percent of global emissions. The primary drivers of emissions growth are slow technology efficiency […]

EEA: ‘Air pollution still causes 239,000 deaths annually across Europe’

December 11, 2024

Every year, around 239,000 deaths in the European Union can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter, a key air pollutant. Another 70,000 Europeans die from excessive ozone concentrations and 48,000 from nitrogen pollution. In Belgium alone, this concerns 4,100 deaths from particulate matter, 1,400 from ozone, and 1,200 from nitrogen. The figures come […]

‘Second warmest November confirms 2024 will be warmest year’

December 10, 2024

November 2024 was the second warmest November worldwide after November 2023. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, it confirms the expectation that 2024 will be the warmest year. The average surface air temperature was 14.10°C, 0.73°C above the November average from 1991-2020. November 2024 was 1.62°C above pre-industrial levels, the 16th month in a […]

‘Exceptionally high number of wildfires in North and South America’

December 09, 2024

In 2024, North and South America experienced intense wildfires, mainly affecting the Pantanal wetlands, the Amazon, Canada, and the western US. Eastern Eurasia, including within the Arctic Circle, also experienced above-average fire emissions. The regular monitoring of forest fires by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) in various regions around the world revealed this. Severe […]

AWV’s ‘dangerous traffic points’ list 2024 contains 264 locations

December 06, 2024

The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) recently published the latest list of unsafe traffic locations where accidents can be linked to the infrastructure – not to individual drivers’ behavior. The list for 2024 mentions 264 locations, which is less than in 2021 (301) and 2022 (300) but slightly more than in […]

Traxio: ‘New speed pedelecs sales plunge, used ones surge’

December 05, 2024

According to Filip Rylant, spokesman of the mobility federation Traxio, November confirms the trend of recent months on the bicycle market. Sales of new speed pedelecs dropped by as much as -15.1% (864 units) while second-hand sales continued to grow, with an increase of +7.6% (524 units). Consumers are increasingly opting for the second-hand market. […]

Traxio: ‘Used car market continues to perform strongly in 2024’

December 04, 2024

In November 2024, 31,824 new cars were registered, or 15.3% less than in November 2023. Regarding second-hand car registrations, Traxio sees continued growth in the first eleven months of 2024 compared to previous years. In 2024, the figure for the year’s first eleven months went up to 672.625 registrations. In 2023, it was 637.950 units; […]

T&E: ‘Only 10 out of 77 airlines commit to green fuels’

December 03, 2024

According to a new ranking by Transport & Environment (T&E), only 10 out of 77 airlines are making noteworthy efforts to switch to sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene. The remaining 67 are either buying too few sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the wrong kind of SAFs, or are not considering SAFs at all in their decarbonization […]

Antwerp to launch mobile EV-charging with pink cargo bikes

December 02, 2024

Antwerp will launch the option to charge your electric car on location in the summer of 2025. The City of Antwerp granted the Belgian start-up Uze Energy permission to operate mobile charging installations—a large battery in a pink cargo bike. This means that from the summer of 2025, electric car drivers will be able to […]

‘Belgium’s road network quality at a new low, behind Uzbekistan’

November 29, 2024

Belgium has a bad reputation regarding the quality of its road network, but now the country seems to have reached a new low. According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, Belgium ranks 61st for road quality out of 119 countries surveyed. That is even lower than countries such as Uzbekistan and Rwanda. […]

British Centrica acquires Terhills battery park in Limburg

November 28, 2024

The Limburg Investment Company (LRM) sells its Terhills battery park in Dilsen-Stokkem to the British energy and services company Centrica. Financial details about the acquisition have not been disclosed. Terhills was the first large battery park in Belgium to be used in 2018. Its capacity of 18 megawatts was a European first. The 140 Tesla […]

‘Belgians are Europe’s second biggest fans of bulky SUVs’

November 27, 2024

Belgians suffer from so-called ‘car obesity’: they want bigger and bigger cars. Recent Transport & Environment (T&E) research has shown that vehicles grow one centimeter wider every two years. Something that Belgian drivers adore. According to global research from T&E, the average width of new cars has increased from 177.8 cm to 180.3 cm since […]

Elia postpones decision on Belgian energy island

November 27, 2024

High-voltage grid operator Elia is postponing the decision on the energy island in the North Sea. On Tuesday, NMN announced that after earlier postponements, Belgium had finally issued a tender for the first of three new giga wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth zone in the North Sea. However, the decision has been postponed now […]

Belgian tender for North Sea wind farm finally started

November 26, 2024

After earlier postponements, Belgium has issued a tender for the first of three new giga wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth zone in the North Sea. The first new wind farm would be put into operation by the end of 2028 and produce at least 2.6 terawatt hours of electricity annually. A tender for two […]

COP29 in Baku ends in ‘disappointing deal’

November 25, 2024

The 29th international UN climate summit in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, ended with a disappointing outcome on Sunday night. The summit disappointed developing countries, which are also the most vulnerable to climate change. There is a prevailing feeling that the wealthiest industrialized countries have left them in the dust. Oxfam Novib, in its response, said […]

More than 1,000 smart charging hubs in Flanders by 2030?

November 22, 2024

Flanders has the potential to realize 1,096 ‘smart charging hubs’ or ‘charging plazas’ by 2030–around 6,600 individual charging points. These central locations offer multiple charging stations via one grid connection. This was evident from a study launched on Thursday by grid operator Fluvius, environmental organization Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), and consultancy firm The New Drive. […]

Traxio: ‘Bicycle shops give huge discounts to clear stock’

November 21, 2024

Bicycle shops and manufacturers cannot get rid of the enormous stock they have built up after Corona. Research by mobility federation Traxio shows that six in ten bicycle shops currently offer discounts of 20 percent and more. For the first time in five years, the Belgian bicycle retail market sees a decline in turnover this […]

COP29: Belgium slightly up in climate change performance ranking

November 20, 2024

This year, Belgium has moved up four places in the annual ranking of almost seventy countries in the fight against climate change. According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025, drawn up by environmental NGOs, Belgium is now in 35th place. The classification considers fourteen criteria, divided into four categories: greenhouse gas emissions, the […]

Zeeland opts for emission-free ferries on River Scheldt

November 19, 2024

The Dutch province of Zeeland wants to replace the Westerschelde Ferries, which currently sail across the Western Scheldt, with zero-emission ferries. Hybrid ships (diesel/electric) are also being considered. The States of Zeeland unanimously agreed to that proposal on Friday. The two ships currently transporting cyclists and pedestrians between Vlissingen and Breskens are approaching the end […]

Vias: ‘Traffic accidents cost Belgium €11 billion annually’

November 18, 2024

According to the traffic safety institute Vias, traffic accidents in Belgium cost eleven billion euros annually. The institute calculated that every road death costs seven million euros and every seriously injured person costs 700,000 euros. Vias’ study was based on the number of accidents in 2022. VIAS added up the cost of suffering caused by […]

Solaris to deliver 45 double-articulated e-buses to city of Liège

November 15, 2024

Solaris, the Polish manufacturer of public transport vehicles (buses, trolleybuses, and trams), has won a tender to deliver 45 double-articulated electric buses that will be integrated into the transport network of Liège (Belgium). The ‘Urbino 24′ buses are exceptional for their length and metro-style design. It’s the largest tender to date for Solaris’s double-articulated buses. […]

COP29: ‘Record CO2 emissions in 2024, less CO2 storage’

November 14, 2024

Global CO2 emissions continue to rise, and there is still “no sign” that the world has reached a peak in fossil fuel emissions. A new report from Global Carbon Budget, which also includes the Flanders Marine Institute (Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee, VLIZ), says that global emissions will amount to 41.6 billion tons of CO2 […]

Green light for subsea energy cables between UK and Europe

November 13, 2024

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has approved three energy cables linking Britain to Germany’s, Ireland’s, and Northern Ireland’s power grids and lines connecting Britain’s grid with Dutch and Belgian offshore wind farms. The projects are due to be completed by 2032. The power lines, called ‘interconnectors,’ enable Britain to be more flexible […]

The Hague Court annuls judgment in climate case against Shell

November 13, 2024

The Court of Appeal in The Hague has rejected the 2021 ruling in the case brought by the Netherlands arm of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie) and other campaigners against Shell. According to the court, Shell cannot be forced to specify specific percentages by which it must reduce CO2 emissions. Therefore, the court’s ruling at […]

Dutch traffic safety institute warns for mini fat bike for children

November 12, 2024

E-bike manufacturer Ouxi will launch a mini fat bike with a lower frame and smaller wheels next month. The Cooryda C80 Pro Mini seems to be an exact copy of the regular fat bike but in pocket size. It has the same robust appearance, but the manufacturer focuses on 10- to 14-year-olds. The children’s version […]

Copernicus: ‘2024 almost certainly warmest year and first year above 1.5°C’

November 07, 2024

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2024 will probably be the warmest year and the first year above 1.5 degrees Celsius. October 2024 was the second warmest October globally, after October 2023, with an average surface air temperature of 15.25°C, 0.80°C above the average for October from 1991-2020. The average temperature over the past […]

Traxio: ‘Belgian used car market continues to grow’

November 06, 2024

In October 2024, 67,201 second-hand cars were registered, an increase of +9.9% compared to last year and +26.3% more than in October 2022. The figures for the first ten months of 2024 show continued growth in second-hand car registrations: +6.5% between 2023 and 2024 and +14.9% between 2022 and 2024. According to Mobility Federation Traxio, […]

Engie to build new battery park in port of Antwerp

November 05, 2024

Energy provider Engie will start the construction of a new battery park in Kallo, in the port of Antwerp, at the beginning of next year. The large-scale project, representing a €100 million investment, should be completed by the summer of 2027. The park in Kallo will be located on the site of the energy company’s […]

EEA: ‘Europe saw significant drop in CO2 emissions in 2023’

November 04, 2024

Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union dropped by eight percent last year – the biggest drop in decades, marking significant progress toward climate neutrality. According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) ‘Trends and Projections’ report, the huge drop was led by a significant decline in coal use and the growth of renewable energy […]

Lancet: ‘Climate-related health risks are worsening due to delayed action’

November 01, 2024

A team of 122 researchers from United Nations agencies and academic institutions worldwide has published an article in The Lancet warning that climate-related health risks are worsening. More people face dangerous heat, food insecurity, and exposure to pathogens and other threats. The report was published on Wednesday in advance of the climate negotiations scheduled for […]

VREG: ‘Average household will pay €100 more for electricity next year’

October 30, 2024

The distribution network rates on household electricity bills, which account for approximately one-third of the total cost, may increase by 31 percent next year. According to some initial calculations, this would amount to an average of more than 100 euros extra per year. For the third year in a row, electricity network rates are increasing. […]

WMO: ‘CO2 surges to new record, countries miles off track on Paris’ goal’

October 29, 2024

According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, committing the planet to rising temperatures for many years to come. Carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates in the atmosphere faster than ever experienced during human existence, increasing by more than 10% in just two decades. “This […]

Oxfam: ‘Super-rich emit more CO2 in 90Min than average person in lifetime’

October 28, 2024

According to a new Oxfam report titled ‘Carbon Inequality Kills’, super-rich Europeans, with their investments and intensive use of superyachts and private planes, emit as much greenhouse gases in one week as the world’s poorest one percent do in their entire lives.  In other words, fifty of the wealthiest billionaires in the world emit more […]