July 01, 2022
The Brussels Government has finalized the ‘Low-Emission Mobility Brussels’ roadmap with accompanying measures for gradually phasing out diesel and gasoline engines. In addition, the social support measures were also strengthened. The measures taken are also designed to respect the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement of the EU. 2030 is a turning point As previously […]
June 30, 2022
The Belgian gas net manager Fluxys and the Norwegian energy company Equinox are analyzing the feasibility of an undersea pipeline for the transport and storage of CO2 in the Norwegian gas fields. The pipeline would connect Zeebrugge and Norway and cover a distance of 1 000 km. Industrial CO2, captured in Zeebrugge, could then be […]
June 29, 2022
Early in the morning on Wednesday, the 27 member states of the European Council approved the ‘Fit for 55’ climate plan of the Commission, reducing CO2 emissions for cars by 55% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Despite the last-minute maneuvers of car-producing countries like Italy to postpone the date, the 27 stick to 2035 […]
June 29, 2022
After car sharing, mobility player Cambio now also offers cargo bikes for rent in Brussels. The initiative is part of the regional Cairgo Bike project, which aims to make cargo bikes a fully-fledged alternative to cars and vans and which was financed with 4,7 million euros in European funds. The electric cargo bikes are now […]
June 29, 2022
This summer, the Belgian energy platform Bolt will provide three festivals – Rock Werchter, Sfinks Mixed (Boechout), and Boomtown (Ghent) – with green electricity. After a first experiment last summer with Werchter Parklife, the company decided to extend the idea to three other festivals. “The organizers of festivals put great efforts into making their projects […]
June 27, 2022
All eyes are set on the European council, where the member states search to agree on a joint position after the European Parliament has voted in favor of a ban on the sales of combustion-engined cars as of 2035. However, the deadline could still be jeopardized. Major countries like Italy, France, and Germany support more […]
June 22, 2022
Sibelga, the manager of the Brussels gas and electricity distribution network, plans to use hydrogen by 2050 to heat old, poorly insulated buildings. According to the newspapers De Tijd, L’Echo, and La Libre Belgique, the company has had a study carried out for this purpose. As the availability of biogas is limited, green hydrogen could […]
June 22, 2022
An earlier EU phase-out date for cars and vans with internal combustion engines would net significant savings for European drivers and hugely reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to new calculations by Greenpeace Germany. “An end to sales of new gasoline, diesel, and hybrid cars in 2028 would reduce oil use enough to save drivers €635 […]
June 15, 2022
The British Department of Transport (DfT) has put a lid on its plug-in car grant scheme, making buyers of electric cars no longer eligible for financial support. Scrapping the so-called Plug-In Grant evokes disappointment from carmakers. Still, according to the government, it needs to shift its investments to developing public charging infrastructure and greening other […]
June 13, 2022
Ten years ago, during Picnic The Streets, up to 3000 citizens claimed the public space on the Boulevard Anspach in the heart of Brussels for the first time to banish the car from the city center. On Sunday, in Cinema Palace, the organization looked back, but they looked ahead to the future. Afterward, another symbolic […]
June 10, 2022
From 1 September, a season ticket with the TEC, the Walloon public transport company, will cost 1 euro a month for people aged between 18 and 24. This rate change will be implemented a year earlier than first announced, Walloon Minister of Mobility Philippe Henry (Ecolo) confirmed on Thursday. The TEC pass will thus cost […]
June 09, 2022
Europe has taken a historic step on Wednesday with the Parliament voting a ban on sales of new cars or vans with an internal combustion engine (ICE), including plug-in hybrids, from 2035 on. Only manufacturers selling less than 10 000 – mostly exclusive sports cars like Ferrari – can apply for a derogation for a […]
June 07, 2022
British chemical company Ineos wants to build an open hydrogen network in Antwerp together with gas distributor Fluxys. The hydrogen network must serve as an alternative to fossil fuels. The Ineos factories may later become one of the largest customers of this hydrogen network. Climate-neutral Ineos is the first industrial player to sign an agreement […]
June 02, 2022
Ford is taking the next significant step in its transformation in Europe. Martin Sander becomes General Manager, Ford Model e, for Ford in Europe. Ford Model e is Ford’s new global business unit. It was introduced earlier this year as the company accelerated the transformation of its global automotive business. In his role as General […]
June 01, 2022
Not using your own car during the entire month of June, can you do it? This is the challenge that Prof. Cathy Macharis, head of the VUB research group Mobilise, is proposing to all of us as the ambassador of the ’30 Days Les Car’ campaign. A month without a car means more adventure and […]
June 01, 2022
Things aren’t going well for Flemish public bus operator De Lijn. As a result of the coronavirus, the numbers for passenger traffic lie about 40% lower than before the pandemic. It caused, among other things, a loss of 6 million euros. Like in 2020, the Flemish government absorbed this impact with an extra corona allowance. […]
May 31, 2022
Anyone flying with Brussels Airlines can now choose with one click to compensate for the CO2 emissions of the flight. The option is now integrated into the booking process, the airline announced. The CO2 compensation system already exists at Brussels Airlines, but until now, it was rather time-consuming: the traveler had to click through to […]
May 30, 2022
The startup Vaeridion from Munich wants to build small electric airplanes with space for two pilots and nine passengers. In contrast to the numerous electric vertical take-off concepts, Vaeridion’s electric aircraft is designed to take off and land like an ordinary airplane. The plans are in the very early stages. Still, the ambitions are high: […]
May 30, 2022
Inhabitants in Brussels who dispose of their vehicles and hand in their licence plates receive a premium through Bruxell’Air or Brussels’Air. The fees vary between 500 and 900 euros depending on income and can be used to finance public transport passes, a bicycle, or car-sharing services. Regarding the last alternative, the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre has decided […]
May 30, 2022
The G7, the international group of the seven largest advanced economies, have agreed on their energy meeting to “predominantly decarbonized electricity sectors by 2035”. The group concluded that “to this end, we will rapidly scale up the necessary technologies and policies for the clean energy transition.” The G7 consists of the United States, Canada, France, […]
May 27, 2022
The French government is working on a project to provide the poorest inhabitants with an electric car at a cost of 100 euros per month. The proposal, first proposed by the Socialist candidate and mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and promised by newly elected president Emmanuel Macron during his first campaign speech on 17 March, […]
May 25, 2022
The Flemish government must pay environmental organization Greenpeace a penalty of 850 000 euros. The Air Policy Plan drawn up after a judgment by the Brussels Court of First Instance does not meet the requirements of that judgment, Greenpeace reports. “Flanders still does not have a sufficiently ambitious air action plan,” the organization denounces. No […]
May 25, 2022
The majority of Shell shareholders support the oil and gas company’s plans to reduce its emissions and become climate-neutral by 2050. However, a resolution by activist shareholder Follow This to force Shell to set even stronger climate targets did not get the majority of votes and received less support than last year. The annual meeting […]
May 23, 2022
In 2021, there were 41,1 million trucks, mostly foreign, on Belgium’s roads. Never before has this number been so high. This is evident from the report for its operating year drawn up by Viapass, the organisation that manages the kilometer charge for trucks in Belgium. Consequently, revenues for the kilometer charge are also peaking: 822 […]
May 23, 2022
The district court of Detmold started a historic court trial against Volkswagen on Friday. The accusor is Ulf Allhoff-Cramer, a German organic farmer who claims that the German car giant is responsible for the demise of his farm, with his crops and animals suffering from global warming. Greenpeace supports the court case. Allhoff-Cramer is a […]
May 20, 2022
The Brussels government has launched a project call to boost the rollout of charging stations for electric vehicles. All owners of private car parks in Brussels have a chance of receiving a subsidy on the condition that their charging stations run on green electricity, are public, and are accessible 24/7. This has been confirmed by […]
May 20, 2022
The European Commission wants the EU to faster accelerate its endeavor to gain energetical independence. Energy use must be more efficient, the energy supply must be diversified, and the energy sources must become sustainable. The whole plan has been presented this week under the REPowerEU name. The war in Ukraine has once again emphasized the […]
May 19, 2022
Together with Denmark, Germany, and The Netherlands, Belgium will increase the capacity of wind turbines in the North Sea tenfold by 2050, to a total capacity of 150 gigawatts. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) signed an agreement on this on Wednesday in Esbjerg, Denmark. The sky-high energy prices and the ongoing military conflict […]
May 19, 2022
Giant Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced a significant partnership with the French world leader in gas and technologies Air Liquide for hydrogen mobility. Together with Portuguese bus manufacturer CaetanoBus, they will act on developing infrastructure and vehicle fleets to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen for both light and heavy vehicles. “We are uniting our forces […]
May 18, 2022
According to a report from InfluenceMap, a conglomerate of a UK-based non-profit and a US charity, the production of electric and hydrogen vehicles won’t be enough to meet the Paris Agreement’s climate objective of limiting temperature rise to 1,5°C. Zero-emission vehicles should represent 57,5% of sales and 20% of the whole fleet by 2030. However, […]
May 17, 2022
A broad cross-industry coalition is now including Ford of Europe and Volvo Cars. They are appealing to the EU to ensure that all new cars and vans in Europe are zero-emission from 2035 and establish mandatory charging infrastructure targets. The coalition says the deadline for new fossil fuel engines is needed to ensure the last […]
May 16, 2022
The global industry is accelerating its investment in energy efficiency in the next five years as the crucial race towards Net-Zero intensifies, a new survey commissioned by ABB finds out. 90% will increase spending over the next five years, while 52 percent plan to achieve Net Zero within the same period. This Energy Efficiency Investment […]
May 11, 2022
Climate change remains a ‘top of mind’ issue. Eight out of ten worry about climate change, and six out of ten Belgian citizens support the Belgian en European target to become climate neutral by 2050. However, only three out of ten feel that also families have to contribute. The figures come from the fifth national […]
May 10, 2022
European and US headquartered global companies are not putting much effort into reducing their business trips for climate’s sake. In the international ranking of the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), companies with an A-score are the most ambitious; those dangling at the bottom get the lowest evaluation, a D-score. The ranking grades 230 US and […]
May 06, 2022
The new version of the Brussels’Air premium, which has been awarded to motorists who give up their car in the capital since the beginning of March, is a great success. So says the Brussels Minister responsible for Climate Transition Alain Maron (Ecolo). On Tuesday, Brussels Environment handed out the 700th premium, which in two months […]
May 04, 2022
The impact of digital technology on the climate is five times more positive than the total digital footprint by 2030. CO2 emissions in Belgium could decrease by 10 to 12% by using digital technologies in the four most CO2-polluting branches of industry. That is the conclusion of a recent study by the technology federation Agoria. […]
May 03, 2022
The Flemish Government wants to continue to focus on alternatives to road transport, with companies choosing the proper mode of transportation for each flow of goods. It is extending the Multimodal Flanders project by five years until 2027. The organization behind the project, the Flemish Logistics Innovation Center (VIL), reported this. Transport via rail or […]
April 29, 2022
The Brussels Government is raising its ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas from 40 to 47% by 2030 compared to 2005. To this end, subsidies for gas-fired condensing boilers will be abolished in 2023, and the move away from fossil fuels will be accelerated without waiting for the next legislature. This emerges from the policy guidelines […]
April 29, 2022
The new Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a fusion of the harbors of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, wants to become “the green entry to Europe”. Its ambitions are not to be sneezed at: Port of Antwerp-Bruges wants to become Europe’s largest international export harbor, and at the same time reconcile economy and climate. Port of Antwerp-Bruges is determined […]
April 22, 2022
In its first study on life cycle assessment, Green NCAP, the sustainability branch of safety organization Euro NCAP, has examined the environmental impact of 61 popular models on the European market. Though the electric Fiat 500 showed the smallest carbon footprint, the Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI made a case for the combustion engine. Life cycle […]
April 22, 2022
Flemish transport company De Lijn will order 99 electric buses worth 66,5 million euros next year. The delivery of the new buses should allow the old diesel buses, Euro 3 and 4, to be put aside by 2025. The Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB must also renew its fleet of buses that run on thermal engines: […]
April 21, 2022
According to the latest report of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Belgium still is far too dependent on fossil fuels. And after the partial nuclear phase-out in 2025, this reliance will probably only increase. But unfortunately, it also means the country has hardly made any progress in reducing its CO2 emissions. In 2020, 71% of […]
April 19, 2022
Young start-up E-Load has inaugurated its first powerful public charging station in the industrial zone ‘Europark’ in Houthalen. The Limburg-based company plans to install at least five similar charging stations in the province and is already negotiating with the cities of Genk and Hasselt. The official inauguration took place on Saturday in the presence of […]
April 15, 2022
The Belgian marine service provider, Jan De Nul, has started the construction works of the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm project in France. It will be the first offshore wind farm on French territory. For Jan De Nul, it’s the first offshore assignment in France. De Nul’s jack-up vessel ‘Vole au vent’ will transport the 80 […]
April 15, 2022
Dutch start-up Lightyear, the manufacturer of the world’s first commercial solar car, is starting production of its first batch of customer vehicles. At the same time, the company announces a price hike of nothing less than 100 000 euros for the One. With 250 000 euros, their solar car is now more costly than some […]
April 14, 2022
Together with Portuguese oil firm Galp, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt wants to construct and exploit the biggest factory for lithium conversion in the EU. The two partners have set up the Aurora joint venture to reach that ambition. According to both companies, the lithium conversion process will be the most sustainable in the industry. When […]
April 14, 2022
The Belgian-Dutch port company North Sea Port, a fusion of the harbors of Ghent, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen, wants to become a hydrogen hub on a European level. The port company, therefore, developed a hydrogen strategy, it announced this week. North Sea Port and the industry are facing the challenge to make the transition from fossil […]
April 12, 2022
At its first ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Conference, Mercedes presented an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions by more than half, Well to Wheel (WTW), being thus over the entire life cycle of each car, by the end of this decade. In addition, 70% of the energy used must be renewable. There needs to […]
April 08, 2022
The British government has revealed its new energy policy and strategy, given the recent events in the energy market and the Ukrainian war. The UK wants to accelerate nuclear power again, and besides pushing for more wind and solar power, it will also stay developing its fossil fuel winnings in the North Sea. At the […]
April 06, 2022
Up until corona times, aviation was the fastest-growing carbon polluter in the European Union. Still, it is one of the top receivers of free pollution permits relative to their emissions under the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS in short). The EU ETS is a cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change […]
April 05, 2022
The chance that global warming remains limited to 1,5 degrees Celsius has pretty well gone by unless the world comes up with far more ambitious plans to reduce CO2 emissions. That is the devastating conclusion of the latest IPCC report. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations earlier warned that the […]
April 04, 2022
The [email protected] project, the brainchild of BASF Antwerp and Air Liquide in the harbor of Antwerp for the capturing, transport, and storage of CO2 emissions in the empty gas field in the North Sea, will receive 356,9 million euros support from the European Innovation Fund (EIF). On Friday, the agreement for the subsidy was signed. […]
April 01, 2022
The Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), rejects the idea of introducing a maximum speed limit of 100 km/hour on the highways. Yesterday, we wrote that Groen, Flanders’ green political party, had suggested introducing a temporary speed limit of 100 kph on the highways. The measure would improve safety, save money and fuel, […]
April 01, 2022
Two-thirds or 70% of Belgians are in favor of more sustainable mobility. Not surprisingly, the bicycle is the symbol of soft mobility for most Belgian road users. Plus: Belgians are mainly deterred from buying an electric car by the cost and the lack of charging stations. This is the conclusion of the first mobility barometer […]
March 31, 2022
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn has launched procedures to purchase hundreds of electric buses, possibly up to 1 250. It involves buses of all sizes, ranging from 8 to 24 meters in length. De Lijn confirmed this on Wednesday, following the European Tender Journal publications. De Lijn’s ambition is to make its fleet […]
March 25, 2022
According to Transport & Environment, the bioenergy sector burns every day a grain volume to the equivalent of 15 million loaves of bread to make ethanol for our fuels. The organization calls it immoral to continue driving on biofuels with grain prices skyrocketing. In stark contrast, the ethanol lobby claims this is the time to […]
March 24, 2022
According to the newspaper L’Echo, Euro 4 diesel cars driving inside the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) won’t be fined until July. The newspaper reports that the official reason is new car delivery delays, but it also cites a computer bug at Brussels Taxation. Since January, Euro 4 diesel cars have been supposedly banned from the […]
March 23, 2022
A team of Belgian researchers is analyzing the effects of offshore wind farms on marine life. The nature reserve of the Princess Elisabeth Zone in the North Sea can only be used for energy production if the impact on plant and animal life is limited. The ‘EDEN 2000’ research project – ‘Exploring options for a […]
March 22, 2022
The US State of Washington has passed a bill banning the sale, purchase, and registration of new gasoline-powered vehicles of the model year 2030 or later. If it becomes law, Washington will phase out internal combustion vehicles five years earlier than other ‘leading’ states like, for example, California. The transportation package is called ‘Move Ahead […]
March 21, 2022
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns of an oil crisis caused by the invasion in Ukraine and spurs governments to take action and consumers to change their behavior. It has presented a ten-point plan to cut oil use. Working from home, restrictions on access to city centers by car, cheaper public transportation, more carpooling, reduced […]
