February 11, 2026
On Tuesday, the European Parliament approved, by a large majority, the European Union’s new climate target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared with 1990 levels by 2040 – 413 Members of Parliament voted in favour, 226 against. The new target still needs to be endorsed by EU countries, which is expected for March […]
February 10, 2026
Belgium’s greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, have been falling for over twenty years, but in 2024, they stopped declining and even increased slightly again (about +0.2%) compared with 2023. Although long-term emissions are declining, projections indicate that current plans are not on track to meet EU or national targets for 2030. The rebound is mainly […]
February 06, 2026
Amid rising concern about global heating and soaring energy costs, the state of Michigan has sued major oil companies, alleging that they colluded to hamper the adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs). Michigan’s case specifically targets BP, Shell, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil, as well as the largest US oil lobby group, the American […]
February 06, 2026
The Belgian public transport operator De Lijn explored replacing paper timetables at bus stops with digital alternatives but ultimately decided to retain paper schedules after a pilot project showed significant limitations. Lijn has approximately 27,000 bus and tram stops in Flanders, most of which display paper timetables. These must be replaced regularly, at a cost of […]
February 05, 2026
Women in Iran can now officially obtain a scooter or motorcycle license, the Iranian news agency Ilna announced on Wednesday. Until now, women were not prohibited from riding motorcycles. Car licenses have long been allowed for women in Iran, yet motorcycle licenses were a real taboo, remaining an officially male-only ‘privilege.’ They were already riding […]
February 05, 2026
Six out of ten Brussels residents have given up their cars and switched to car sharing, according to a study by Brussels Mobility. Car sharing is no longer a marginal phenomenon, but is gradually becoming an essential tool for reducing the number of cars in the city, including for families. Brussels has the highest density of […]
February 04, 2026
In northern Antwerp, energy provider Fluvius has begun construction of Flanders largest heating network to date. Residual heat from the waste-processing company Indaver will be used from the end of this year to heat about 3,800 social housing units, eight schools, and a municipal workshop in the Luchtbal (Antwerp) and Rozemaai (Ekeren) neighborhoods. Such a […]
February 04, 2026
The mobility budget is becoming increasingly popular. In one year, the number of companies offering their employees a mobility budget has increased by a third. In 2024, 3.4% of all employers offered it; today, 4.5% do, according to new figures from HR service provider Acerta. What is a ‘mobility budget’? Employees who are entitled to a […]
February 04, 2026
Belgian retailer Colruyt will start a pilot project next month to have self-driving vans deliver groceries in Leuven. The project is an extension of Colruyt’s ‘Collect&Go’ service, which allows customers to order groceries online and pick them up at a Colruyt supermarket at their convenience. Colruyt primarily delivers to homes in and around major cities, […]
February 03, 2026
The European Union is struggling with its strategy to reduce its dependence on other countries for the supply of strategic raw materials for the energy transition. Obstacles hinder domestic production, and recycling remains embryonic. However, demand for these materials will only increase sharply over the decade. Raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare […]
February 02, 2026
Earlier this week, the European Commission, in its assessment of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), acknowledged that Belgium has raised its ambitions, but that the country still needs to make additional efforts in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Belgium’s environmental protection spending rose to €18 billion in 2023, equivalent to 3% of […]
February 02, 2026
Despite Bluetooth being standard in almost every modern car, one out of eight Belgian drivers (13%) still make calls with their mobile phones in hand. This is evident from new research published by the Vias Traffic Institute, and based on a survey conducted in eleven European countries among a representative sample of the population. Even more […]
January 30, 2026
Occupying a public charging station indefinitely without charging will be punished. Drivers who fail to respect charging station etiquette risk a hefty bill. The measure is already being implemented in Antwerp; Ghent and Brussels are following. After Antwerp introduced the so-called ‘rotation tariff’, Ghent and Brussels are also adopting the measure to deter users who leave […]
January 29, 2026
On Wednesday, Wallbox, a global provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, announced a new partnership with Eneco eMobility, one of the top three providers of smart charging stations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, to support the continued scaling of commercial EV infrastructure. Under the deal, Wallbox will supply its commercial AC charger, called ‘eM4 Twin’, for initial […]
January 29, 2026
The Dutch government has done far too little to protect the inhabitants of Bonaire, an island in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, from the consequences of climate change. The cabinet must therefore develop a concrete plan to protect Bonaire’s residents better. Furthermore, the government must establish “clear and binding” targets within eighteen months to reduce […]
January 28, 2026
Belgium has raised its ambitions in its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), but still needs to make further efforts in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the coming years. But for the time being, the country will not be presented with a multi-million dollar bill. If an EU member state fails to reduce its CO2 […]
January 28, 2026
A small ‘dunkelflaute’ hanging over Belgium is causing electricity prices to spike. The term ‘dunkelflaute’, a combination of the German words ‘dunkel’, meaning ‘dark’, and ‘Flaute’, meaning ‘lull’, describes the simultaneous occurrence of darkness and a lull in wind activity. Dunkelflautes occur several times every winter in Northwestern Europe. They usually last 1–3 days. The phenomenon […]
January 27, 2026
Last Monday, the countries bordering the North Sea, together with grid operators and the offshore wind industry, signed a new investment pact to relaunch and expand offshore wind power generation in the North Sea after several years of failed auctions and investor pullback. The pact agreed to during a summit in Hamburg includes connecting offshore wind […]
January 26, 2026
Of all those who had to retake their practical driving test last year (for example, after being revoked for driving under the influence), one in three candidates failed. The pass rate for the theoretical retest was even lower, GOCA Vlaanderen, the sector federation of vehicle inspection and driving licence examination centers, explains. In Belgium, drivers whose licence […]
January 23, 2026
Thirty times more money goes to destroying nature than to conserving it. In other words, for every US dollar the world invests in protecting nature, it spends $30 on destroying it. This stark imbalance is the central finding of a new UN Environment Program (UNEP) ‘State of Finance for Nature 2026’ report released on Thursday. It […]
January 22, 2026
The city of Amsterdam wants to ban sea cruises from 2035 onward. The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) must disappear. It is one of the most far-reaching decisions taken by a major European port city in the debate over cruise tourism, air pollution, and urban space. The departure of the terminal has “clear advantages for sustainability and the […]
January 22, 2026
Figures have already shown this, and the Belgian Vias traffic institute confirms it again: road safety is not gender-neutral. Men die on the road far more often than women. Women, meanwhile, face different — and often overlooked — dangers in daily mobility. In Belgium, nearly eight out of ten traffic fatalities are men. That ratio […]
January 21, 2026
2025 was, once again, the year of traffic jams. Never before had Flemish people spent more time stuck in traffic than last year. All vehicles together lost an average of almost 105,000 hours per day in traffic jams. This marks the first time the 100,000-hour mark has been surpassed. The figures come from the Flemish Traffic Center […]
January 19, 2026
Last year, a record number of speed pedelecs – 23,681 – were registered in Belgium, both new and used. “2025 was a record year for second-hand speed pedelecs (9,623 units, +24%) and the third best year ever for new ones (14,058 units, +2.6%),” explains Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio. “All in all, this […]
January 16, 2026
After 39 days and more than 13,600 kilometers on the open road across Africa, the Grand Electric Trans-African Expedition concluded on Sunday as the team returned to Kampala aboard a fully electric bus designed and built in Uganda, Kiira Motors Corporation’s flagship 13-meter Kayoola EV Model 2025. The journey, which began in November 2025 and […]
January 15, 2026
This weekend, from 16 to 18 January 2026, Kortrijk Xpo will host the 18th edition of Velofollies, the must-visit event for active cyclists and cycling enthusiasts. With over 300 exhibitors and nearly twice as many brands represented, the show will offer a complete range of bicycles, from recreational and utility models — e-bikes, urban bikes, […]
January 14, 2026
On Tuesday, the German bus company Flix, parent company of FlixBus, announced the acquisition of a majority share of Flibco, a leading European airport transfer platform currently owned by the Luxembourg company SLG (formerly Sales-Lentz Group). The parties involved did not disclose financial details. The Flibco name will, in any case, be retained after the takeover. […]
January 14, 2026
If global warming continues at its current pace, the most important global climate goal could be missed by the end of this decade. The European climate service Copernicus warns of this in an annual report. The last eleven years have been the warmest on record – an undeniable trend toward a warmer climate – the Copernicus […]
January 13, 2026
Fraudulent traffickers in Flanders are systematically stealing time slots for practical driving tests and then reselling them to people who want to pass their exam faster. The fraud was discovered by the consumer radio program WinWin. It remains unclear how the fraudsters operate. However, it involves a form of hacking in which hackers reserve time slots […]
January 12, 2026
Former Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) is leaving politics and becoming CEO of the green interest group WindEurope. Van der Straeten resigns from parliament and will start working at WindEurope on February 2nd. “Wind energy is crucial for the continent’s electricity supply, economic competitiveness, and climate goals. It provides Europe with affordable electricity, strengthens […]
January 12, 2026
New motorcycle registrations fell by 12.2% in 2025 (to 24,872 units) compared to 2024. However, 2024 was the best year of the past 15 years. The sector expects a strong start to 2026, thanks in part to the Brussels Auto Show, where nearly 20 motorcycle brands will be represented this year and at least 310 […]
January 10, 2026
Air quality in Beijing is better than ever. In 2025, the city reported more than 340 days of ‘good’ or ‘moderate’ air quality, attributable to strict emission regulations and the growing number of electric vehicles in Chinese cities. Heavy pollution days dropped from dozens per year in the early 2010s to almost zero. Over the […]
January 10, 2026
Company managers and employers often prefer to extend their current contracts by one year rather than purchase a new company car to keep the old, more favourable corporate tax deduction rules in place for longer. And if a new company car is purchased, it is greener but more expensive. By the end of 2024, 8 out […]
January 08, 2026
The kilometer charge for trucks in Belgium once again generated more than a billion euros last year – €1,060 billion to be precise. This is evident from statistics compiled by Viapass, the interregional entity that coordinates and monitors the kilometer charge in Belgium. In concrete terms, the toll generated €691.8 million in Flanders, €357.4 million […]
January 08, 2026
According to the German Hydrographic and Maritime Transport Office (BSH), the temperature of the North Sea in 2025 was the hottest ever recorded. Compared to the long-term average from 1997 to 2021, it was 0.9°C warmer. The BSH examines the surface temperatures of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea weekly, combining satellite data with […]
January 07, 2026
Car-sharing operator Cambio saw its user base increase by 15% last year, from 71,500 in 2024 to 82,000 in 2025. The shared-mobility provider has about 3,000 cars available – including more than 400 electric vehicles – in 147 cities and municipalities across Belgium. The cambio cars are used intensively, ensuring that cambio users (80% of […]
January 06, 2026
Last year, the Belgian second-hand car market achieved its best results since 2006. While the new car market continues to decline, the volume of used cars remains stable at a historically high level. Registrations increased by 0.9% (+6,194 units) after consecutive years of growth and a very strong 2024. In December alone, 59,090 used cars were registered, […]
January 05, 2026
According to the most optimistic scenario, the construction of new large nuclear power plants in Belgium will not be completed until the end of 2039 at the earliest. That is what a new study by the engineering firm Tractebel, part of the energy group Engie (which conducted a survey commissioned by the high-voltage grid operator […]
January 05, 2026
At the start of this year, fuel prices in Belgium are at their lowest level since the peak prices of 2022. The official maximum prices for fuel have become a lot cheaper than they were a year ago. The fact that prices at the pump in Belgium are so low has not gone unnoticed by […]
December 31, 2025
The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving and ‘smart’ electric tractors, must shelve its ambitious plans. Despite a record round of funding from PMV and other Belgian investors (Belgian industrial families, such as Colruyt, Toye, Adriaenssen-de Spoelberch, Thermote), the American tractor company is imploding from a promising producer of fully electric, autonomous tractors that can plough, […]
December 30, 2025
Almost 30% of drivers caught driving under the influence of drugs had taken more than one substance at the same time, the latest figures from Belgium’s National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) show. Drivers are increasingly testing for multiple drugs simultaneously. The party drug ketamine is also appearing more frequently in drunk driving. Last year, […]
December 29, 2025
The results of electricity provider Elia’s annual report aren’t yet complete. Still, it’s already clear that the production of renewables – wind and mainly solar energy in Belgium – will have reached a record high in 2025 – 22.4 TWh. This means that the share of renewable energy in the Belgian electricity mix is now as […]
December 29, 2025
While millions of people try to reduce their ecological footprint – by saving energy, buying fewer clothes, and sorting waste – the world’s wealthiest continue to emit the same amount of carbon as the average person does in a year by going on holiday just once. In other words, while ordinary citizens are encouraged or […]
December 23, 2025
The automotive sector will introduce a new environmental contribution to battery recycling from electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2026. This was reported by Febelauto, the automotive sector’s management body for end-of-life vehicles and their batteries. This new contribution is in addition to the environmental contribution from the vehicle’s sustainable recycling. For a fully electric passenger […]
December 22, 2025
According to a recent study by the Dutch mobility organization Shuttel, people in the Netherlands cycle more frequently, charge their electric vehicles primarily at home, and travel in first class, particularly in winter. The study surveyed 250,000 employees at more than 100 organizations in the Netherlands. As in the Netherlands, cycling in Belgium has evolved from […]
December 19, 2025
Fastned, the European pioneer in fast charging, opened two new charging stations this month – one in Genk (carpool parking E314) and one in Veurne (near E40) – thereby surpassing the milestone of 50 fast-charging stations in Belgium. This year, the company opened 16 new charging stations in Belgium. The two recently opened stations are both equipped […]
December 19, 2025
On Thursday morning, charging infrastructure company Allego and real estate investor Mitiska REIM have opened a public fast-charging park for 24 cars in the parking lot of the Malinas shopping center in Mechelen. According to both partners, it is now the largest publicly accessible fast-charging hub in Flanders. The largest public fast-charging station so far […]
December 18, 2025
The European Commission is expanding the carbon tax system on imports of steel and aluminum, among other products. This will soon include finished products, such as car parts and washing machines. This will make the border tax somewhat more watertight. The so-called ‘Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’ (CBAM) or border tax requires companies outside the EU […]
December 18, 2025
Almost 15% of vehicles on Belgian roads are driving around with unsafe tire combinations. Mobility federation Traxio reached this conclusion based on a survey of 1,000 drivers conducted last summer. The general condition of car tires, however, has improved, Traxio says. The Rolling Wheel study was carried out by the Federtyre (the Belgian federation of tire […]
December 17, 2025
In Ghent (Belgium), more than 250 residents will be measuring air quality in and around their homes for three months. This pilot project, called ‘Luchtmeters’ (Air meters), aims to map particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5), an essential source of pollution from wood stoves, traffic, and industry. The pilot is also intended to share experiences and raise […]
December 17, 2025
It’s almost an early Christmas story: last Monday, an American woman gave birth to her child in a Waymo autonomous vehicle while en route to UC San Francisco Medical Center. “A woman in labor gave birth in the back seat of a Waymo robotaxi, the company confirmed in a blog post on Wednesday. Mother and […]
December 16, 2025
Flemish arable land, intensively cultivated and driven over by heavy machinery, has the lowest soil carbon stock per hectare, particularly in the topsoil. Even the average Flemish garden performs better. Frequent tillage, heavy machinery, and limited long-term organic inputs accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, thereby increasing CO₂ emissions. This is evident from the latest […]
December 15, 2025
On Sunday, the eighth and final element of the immersed Scheldt tunnel in Antwerp was successfully lowered into place. This is a technically demanding operation in which massive concrete tunnel sections are floated into position, then carefully sunk and connected on the riverbed. The final element was inserted between elements six and eight, and there was only 25 centimeters of […]
December 15, 2025
Road assistance company Touring and D’Ieteren’s car-sharing platform Poppy will pilot an innovative project starting at the beginning of next year. Together, they will test remote-controlled cars to transport people. Anyone experiencing car trouble in the port of Antwerp can be taken to the replacement car depot by a remotely controlled Poppy vehicle. The experiment will […]
December 12, 2025
The speed at which emergency services respond is crucial for the survival of road accident victims. The Vias Institute therefore analyzed the time elapsed between answering the emergency call after an accident with injury and the arrival of emergency services at the scene. In Belgium, emergency services arrive at their destination within 12 minutes (11 minutes and […]
December 11, 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly rewritten its climate-change pages, removing or downplaying the scientific consensus that human emissions of greenhouse gases are the dominant cause of current global warming. Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, climate science is being rewritten step by step, and some essential aspects on the EPA’s website have […]
December 10, 2025
Sustainability saves lives and the global economy. Investing in a sustainable planet could extend millions of lives, end hunger, and ultimately generate trillions of dollars a year for the worldwide economy. That is the conclusion of 287 scientists from 82 countries in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) ‘s Global Environmental Outlook, the most comprehensive report […]
December 09, 2025
From January 1st, 2026, medical exemptions authorising the use of seat belts will cease to be valid in Belgium. Anyone who benefits from an old exemption, issued before March 1st, 2022, and whose state of health still justifies the impossibility of wearing a seatbelt, will have to submit a new application. An exemption is only […]
December 08, 2025
Fines for traffic violations will soon increase by 10%; court fines will even increase by 25%. This was confirmed by the office of Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V). In concrete terms, this means that a minor first-degree offense, such as forgetting to signal, will now cost €63.80 instead of €58. A second-degree offense will increase […]
December 08, 2025
According to a recent study by the Belgian road safety institute Vias, there really is an “affective polarization” in traffic ─ negative feelings and hostility ─ between different groups of road users. People clearly rate their own group more positively than others, with particularly negative feelings toward e-scooters and cyclists. In an urban context, these tensions […]
