Belgians prefer mobility by foot and car, cycling rises

May 26, 2023

Belgians most often travelled on foot (95%) and by car (94%) in 2022, according to a survey by the FPS Mobility questioning 4 600 Belgians aged between 18 and 79. The two most popular alternatives are public transport and cycling, with 65% and 56%, respectively. Sustainable mobility is gaining ground, partly because of environmental and […]

Brussels Airport back to profit and plans to slash 1.500 night flights

May 25, 2023

Brussels Airport Company, the operator of Zaventem airport, posted a net profit of 16 million euros last year. It is the first time in three years that it’s back in the black. “The profit in 2022 was still limited, but it does shed light at the end of the tunnel,” said airport chief Arnaud Feist. […]

Volvo receives record order for up to 1.000 e-trucks

May 22, 2023

Volvo Trucks has signed a letter of intent to sell 1 000 electric trucks between now and 2030 to Holcim, one of the world’s largest building solution providers. The deal is the largest commercial order to date for the company’s electric rate. The first 130 electric Volvo FH and FM trucks will be delivered to […]

Kilometer charge in Brussels continues to stir emotions

May 22, 2023

Last week, the various Belgian transport federations expressed dissatisfaction with the Flemish government’s renewed Flemish Energy and Climate Plan, which once again provides for road pricing only for trucks. Now Walloon MP François Desquesnes (Les Engagés) is also stirring in the debate on possibly introducing a kilometer charge for passenger cars. He does not want […]

Ostend airport gets 66 000 solar panels

May 16, 2023

There will be 66 200 solar panels on the grounds around Ostend airport. Energy company EnergyVision will start installing them there in autumn. Ostend-Bruges airport will so become one of the largest solar parks in Belgium. The project involves an investment of 35 million euros. The electricity generated should power the airport, while part also […]

Transport federations also want kilometer charge for passenger cars

May 15, 2023

The Flemish government has adopted the updated Flemish Energy and Climate Plan (VEKP). To meet the target of -40% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the government is taking additional measures, including extending the truck kilometer charge and a support mechanism for new and second-hand zero-emission vehicles. However, the Transport Federations regret that kilometer charging for […]

Mercedes introduces carbon-friendly aluminium on EQE and EQS

May 15, 2023

Mercedes starts to manufacture the EQE and EQS models with aluminium of a significantly reduced carbon footprint as of this summer. As aluminium production emits up to four times more CO2 than steel, this is an important step in further reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its EVs. Compared to the average, the reduction in the […]

German study: ‘e-fuel could cost €1 per liter in the long run’

May 12, 2023

According to German Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, electric fuels have the potential to reach cost parity with actual oil-based fuels. Today’s price of 50 euros per liter could fall to 1 euro as industrialization and cheaper CO2 capture reap benefits. But uncertainties remain to be resolved. As the EU approved electric or synthetic […]

Annual Volkswagen shareholder meeting disrupted by naked protest and pie throwing

May 11, 2023

Protests and incidents disrupted the annual shareholders’ meeting of German carmaker Volkswagen at a Berlin convention center on Wednesday. Climate and human rights activists threw, for example, a cream pie at Wolfgang Porsche, a representative of the company’s owning family, who was celebrating his 80th birthday just that day, although the target was missed. The […]

Dutch €28 billion climate plan subsidizes new EVs less and second-hand more

April 27, 2023

On Wednesday, the Dutch government unveiled a €28 billion climate plan to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% (or even 60%) by 2030. The plan includes 120 different proposals. For example, in the car sector, new EVs will lose part of their subsidies; second-hand EVs, on the contrary, will get €600 million in subsidies, while €90 […]

North Sea to become Europe’s green power plant

April 25, 2023

Nine European countries signed a joint declaration on Monday in Ostend at the second North Sea Summit to make the North Sea the “green power plant of Europe”. The nine aspire to produce some 300 gigawatts (GW) of energy by 2050 through the massive construction of offshore wind farms. According to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander […]

Belgium to connect to Norway with CO2 pipeline

April 25, 2023

The Belgian government wants to conclude an agreement with Norway on a CO2 pipeline that connects Belgium to the Norwegian CO2 storage facilities. That is what the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) discussed with his Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre during their visit to the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent. Ghent already […]

Germany to shut down last nuclear power plants on Saturday

April 14, 2023

Saturday, April 15th, will be a historical day for Germany. After more than sixty years, the nuclear era will come to an end. Precisely at midnight, the last three nuclear reactors in the country will shut down. Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony, and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württembergare are the last three reactors […]

Schiphol to ban night flights and private jets

April 05, 2023

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of Europe’s largest air hubs, will, from 2025-2026, ban night flights and private jets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution. Aircraft will be banned from taking off between midnight and 6 a.m. and will not be allowed to land before 5 a.m., the airport’s CEO Ruud Sondag said in […]

Brussels Airport: noise pollution takes toll on 220 000 residents

April 04, 2023

Planes at Brussels Airport cause strong annoyance to 220 000 residents. As a result, the cost of health damage would amount to more than 1 billion euros annually. This emerged from a new study by Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), the Flemish federation for a better environment. The study, carried out by study agency ENV-ISA at […]

Parisians vote against use of shared e-scooters

April 03, 2023

As expected, Parisians voted overwhelmingly against using shared e-scooters in their capital: on Sunday, 89,03% were against in the citizens’ poll. However, the low turnout was also striking. Only just over 100 000 people, or 7,46% of Parisians, had registered for the referendum. So from 1 September, shared e-scooters will disappear from the Paris streets […]

IPCC climate report: ‘A clear path forward, but time is running short’

March 21, 2023

To keep global warming below 1,5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must go down immediately. This means no more greenhouse gases may be released than can be restored or removed from the atmosphere. That is the alarming conclusion of the latest report of the IPCC, the climate panel of the United Nations. “The most important message is […]

Dutch KNMI: ‘2022 was driest and sunniest year ever’

March 15, 2023

Global warming is causing more and more extreme weather conditions. According to the Dutch weather and climate institute KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut), 2022 was the driest and sunniest year ever registered since the beginning of the measuring. According to KNMI’s latest report, ‘The State of our Climate’, the summer of 2022 got 17% more […]

Germany blocks EU decision about banning ICE cars

March 14, 2023

After Poland and Italy, a third EU member state, Germany, rejected the EU’s Parliament’s decision to ban ICE cars by 2035. Inside the German government, there is a serious disagreement between the liberal FDP party and the Green party, both members of the government coalition. The German Digital and Transport Minister Volker Wissing has blocked […]

T&E: ‘Europe wastes area larger than Ireland on biofuel production’

March 10, 2023

A new study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung, IFEU), commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that the European Union wastes millions of hectares of fertile cropland for the production of biofuels. Crops for biofuels consumed in Europe require 9,6 Mha of land – an area larger […]

Almost 70% of Germans don’t want to ban combustion engine

March 09, 2023

A survey from RTL/N-TV is throwing more oil on the fire in Germany, as the country is currently obstructing the final vote on the de facto ban for combustion engines as of 2035. With only 14% in favor, national enthusiasm for the European deal is low. The probe unveiled that 68% of the German population […]

Florida senator wants to limit EV use for hurricane evacuations

March 08, 2023

A Republican senator from Florida has suggested limiting the use of electric vehicles during hurricane evacuations, arguing that the charging infrastructure is not ready yet and that EVs with empty batteries could become roadblocks in critical locations. However, others are not as worried or offer alternative solutions instead. Florida is a high-risk area for hurricanes, […]

‘Women emit less greenhouse gases than men’

March 08, 2023

Women’s lifestyles are less polluting than men’s, but the ‘fair sex’ is more often the victim of climate change. That is the remarkable conclusion of an economist consulted by the French international news agency AFP. A nice little tidbit to reveal on March 8th, International Women’s Day, focusing on issues such as gender (in)equality. “Even […]

First Belgian ship load of CO2 arrives in Denmark for undersea storage

March 08, 2023

In the port of Esbjerg, the first ship with captured CO2 from Belgium arrived to store the carbons in a depleted oil field in the Danish part of the North Sea. Called the Greensand project, this is considered the first cross-border offshore CO2 storage project in the world. With the incoming CO2 from the port […]

NDM pleads for abolition company car and mobility premium of €400 for every Belgian

March 07, 2023

In its Memorandum 2024, a series of recommendations ahead of next year’s elections, Network Sustainable Mobility (Netwerk Duurzame Mobiliteit, NDM) advocates the abolition of the company car and the introduction of an annual ‘proximity budget’ of 400 euros for every Belgian. “As long as the company car is in front of the door, you are […]

IEA: ‘Global CO2 emissions rose less than initially feared’

March 03, 2023

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by under 1% in 2022, which is less than initially feared. The growth of solar, wind, EVs, heat pumps, and energy efficiency helped limit the impacts of increased use of coal and oil amid the global energy crisis. That is the conclusion of a recent analysis, ‘CO2 Emissions in […]

Costs of CO2 emission rights break through €100 per ton ceiling

February 22, 2023

For the first time since the European Union introduced the CO2 emission rights, the price of 100 euros per ton of CO2 was exceeded on Tuesday. The leading EU Allowance contract briefly peaked at 101,25 euros. A milestone reflecting the increased price factories and power plants have to pay when they pollute. The European Union […]

BMW Group to source aluminum from sustainable production

February 22, 2023

The BMW Group intends to source aluminum with significantly reduced CO2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024. It has signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. Aluminum accounts for a quarter of the CO2 emissions in the supply chain of a medium-sized electrified car, and a manufacturer like BMW […]

EU wants heavy trucks to reduce CO2 by 90% in 2040

February 15, 2023

While the European Parliament finally ratified on Tuesday in Strasbourg the agreement with the 27 member states to ban all sales of new cars and vans with a combustion engine beyond 2035, heavy trucks and buses were targeted a few hours later by the Commission. They will have to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% in […]

ICCT white paper: ‘battery-electric clear path to take for heavy trucks ‘

February 10, 2023

While the EU Commission is preparing a draft on future emission standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses (HDVs), the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published in a white paper its findings comparing life assessment greenhouse gas emissions of diesel, gas, bio-fuel, battery-electric, and fuel cell heavy trucks. And the clear winner is… no […]

IEA report: ‘Weather increasingly defines energy supply and demand’

February 09, 2023

In the future, the supply and demand of electricity will increasingly depend on the weather circumstances. That is the conclusion of the International Energy Agency’s latest report presented in Paris on Wednesday. The report highlights the need for faster decarbonization and accelerated deployment of clean energy technologies. Drought and heat waves in Europe, India, and […]

Kearney: ‘carmakers to overshoot +1,5°C climate warming limit by 75%’

February 08, 2023

A new Pathway Report by international consultancy firm Kearney, jointly ordered by electric carmakers Polestar and Rivian, warns that without measures to decarbonize the whole well-to-wheel cycle, carmakers globally will overshoot the +1,5°C climate warming limit set by the IPCC by 75% in 2050. Entirely switching to BEVs across the entire global car fleet and […]

Denmark gives go-ahead for CO2 storage in North Sea

February 07, 2023

For the first time, Denmark has granted permits to store carbon dioxide (CO2) under the North Sea seabed on a large scale. The Danish climate and energy ministry announced this on Monday. Two projects are involved: French energy group TotalEnergies (Bifrost) and a consortium of British chemical giant Ineos and German oil company and gas […]

Bicycle allowance for all employees in Belgium from May 1st

January 25, 2023

By May 1st at the latest, all workers in the private sector will be entitled to a bicycle allowance. In addition, trade unions and employer organizations concluded a supplementary collective agreement in the National Labour Council (NAR). The compensations, indexed annually, amount to 0,27 euros per km for those who regularly cycle to and from […]

SD Worx: ‘Belgian SMEs fastest to green their fleets’

January 18, 2023

Belgian SMEs, companies of up to 250 employees, invest more rapidly in ‘green’ car fleets. In 2022, one in eight new commercial vehicles was fully electric. Most company cars (80%) are younger than five years, and since 2021, there are more new hybrid gasoline cars than diesel cars. The largest part of newly registered company […]

Luxair flies from Antwerp to London again

January 17, 2023

Antwerp Airport reopened its connection with London on Monday. Luxembourg-based airline Luxair is responsible for the link to London City Airport. In the first phase, they will fly to the British capital four times a week. Although flying is climate-friendly compared to before, traveling by Eurostar remains a good deal less polluting, even if the […]

ACEA: ‘Euro 7 has almost no environmental impact’

January 16, 2023

The Euro 7 ruling keeps throwing oil on the fire. According to the Association of European Auto manufacturers (ACEA), the proposed norm demands a considerable investment for a small ecological trade-off. With practically no impact on the NOx emissions of road transport, the organization pleads that it better should be skipped. However, the Commission put […]

Copernicus: ‘2022 was year of unseen climate extremes’

January 11, 2023

New data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union reveal that 2022 was a year of climate extremes, with record-high temperatures and increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The year 2022 was the second warmest in recent history for Europe. Only 2020 was even warmer. The temperature did not reach absolute […]

Belgian wind energy production reaches record levels

December 29, 2022

Last Wednesday, wind energy production in Belgium reached record levels. That morning, at 7:15 a.m., the combined wind farms produced as much as four nuclear power plants: 4 505 MW of electricity. The new record is partly due to the expansion of wind farms on land, and at sea, the national grid manager Elia confirmed. […]

Lille is going to pay motorists not to use their cars

December 27, 2022

The city of Lille is to introduce an eco-bonus to ease highway congestion. So writes the French newspaper Le Monde. Congestion on the highways to Lille during rush hours is increasing so that alarm thresholds for fine particles in the air are increasingly being exceeded. Those who do not use their cars during rush hours […]

EIB study confirms Africa’s one trillion euros green hydrogen potential

December 22, 2022

According to the European Investment Bank (EIB), Africa can earn a trillion euros annually from the production of green hydrogen from 2035. This hydrogen can be produced without CO2 emissions using solar energy and transported abroad. The ‘Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential’ report, analyzing Africa’s green hydrogen potential, was commissioned by the European Investment Bank, […]

Brussels fined nearly 19 000 drivers in LEZ in 2022

December 21, 2022

In the Brussels region, 18 640 fines have already been issued this year for motorists who drove into the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in a car that was too polluting. So reports Brussels Environment. The number of fines rose again compared to last year, despite a longer warning period. Most of the fines are for […]

Volkswagen says it hits EU CO2 target “on its own”

December 20, 2022

Volkswagen Group has told the newspaper Financial Times that it has cut loose its external partners within its CO2 pool. After meeting the CO2 targets last year, with the help of four Chinese carmakers, the output of electric vehicles at the German car giant is now vast enough to proceed on the EV strength of […]

No general 100 km/h speed limit on Walloon highways

December 19, 2022

The idea of introducing a general speed limit of 100 km/hour on Walloon hhighhways and main roads has not been included in the Walloon government’s revised climate and energy plan (PACE, Plan Air Climate Énergie). Instead of a general speed limit of 100 km/hour, there will be ‘dynamic management’ of speed limits, says Walloon Mobility […]

EU citizens to pay CO2 tax on transport and heating from 2027

December 19, 2022

From 2027 onward, citizens of the European Union will have to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit through their transport and the heating of their homes. On Saturday, negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council, which represents the Member States, agreed on this. Climate goals This means that everyone within the European […]

Diesel to be banned in Ghent and Antwerp from 2031

December 16, 2022

No diesel cars will be allowed in the low-emission zones (LEZ) of Antwerp and Ghent from 2031, the Flemish government decided this week. The newspaper De Morgen was the first to report that, and the deadline for gasoline cars in 2035, which will also be banned. Even plugin hybrid will no longer get free entry. […]

Elia gets €99,7 million EU funding for Belgian energy island

December 15, 2022

The Federal Government and energy provider Elia have signed an agreement relating to the financial support offered up as part of the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF). The fund was established by the European Commission during the corona pandemic to support future-oriented investments being undertaken by Member States. The signing of the protocol, which governs […]

EU makes non-European companies pay for CO2 emissions

December 14, 2022

The EU members and the European Parliament have agreed on introducing a CO2 tax for non-European companies. The new climate measure applies to the aluminum, steel, and fertilizer sectors and the hydrogen industry. The so-called Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) makes companies outside the EU pay for their CO2 emissions, just as European companies already […]

EU allocates €150 million to Belgian CO2 capturing projects

December 13, 2022

The European Commission will allocate more than 150 million euros for two Belgian projects intended to capture CO2 in the ports of Antwerp and Ghent. That is what the companies involved in the project communicated on Monday in a common press release. [email protected] Export Hub is a joint project of Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, […]

Five new aircraft and 200 recruits for Brussels Airlines

December 08, 2022

Brussels Airlines is expanding its fleet and offering in preparation for summer 2023. It is also creating more than 200 new jobs. The airline is thus adding five new Airbus A320 neo aircraft to its fleet, reducing its carbon footprint. Most of the additional jobs are flying personnel, some of whom are already being trained. […]

Air France-KLM to buy 800.000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel

December 06, 2022

Air France-KLM is to buy 800 000 tons of non-fossil Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) over ten years from TotalEnergies to meet its environmental objectives. The two companies signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding for this, starting in 2023. The fuel will be produced by TotalEnergies in its biorefineries and made available to Air France-KLM […]

IEA: ‘Energy crisis triggers unseen acceleration of renewables’

December 06, 2022

The global energy crisis has triggered an unprecedented acceleration in installations of renewable power, reports the International Energy Agency (IEA). Energy security concerns caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have motivated countries to increasingly turn to renewables such as solar and wind to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. Prices of the latter have spiked […]

Ryanair to purchase sustainable fuel from Shell

December 02, 2022

Low-cost airline Ryanair has signed an agreement with Shell to supply more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The oil and gas group will help make SAF more available to the Irish carrier’s fleet at 200 European airports. This mainly concerns Ryanair’s largest bases in Dublin and London Stansted. Ryanair has already partnered with Neste, the world’s […]

T&E: ‘Truck emissions spike 94% during Black Friday week’

November 25, 2022

Truck transport is massively polluting, and the emissions from transporting retail goods spike 94% during Black Friday week. However, there is a ready-made solution in the form of zero-emission trucks, the European environmental lobbying group Transport and Environment (T&E) says. Black Friday is notorious for peak consumerism and waste. Trucking retail goods is a dirty […]

EEA: ‘Air pollution in EU decreases but remains health risk’

November 24, 2022

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its recent ‘Air Quality in Europe 2022’ assessment, and the conclusion is not really reassuring. Although Europe’s air quality keeps on improving, air pollution still remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing chronic diseases and premature deaths. According to the EEA, at least 238 000 people […]

Brussels launches citizens’ climate assembly with 100 residents

November 17, 2022

The Brussels Region will launch a permanent citizen’s parliament on climate next year. According to Brussels Minister for Climate Transition Alain Maron (Ecolo), the initiative is a world first. Panels of 100 Brussels residents each will be able to ask questions, make recommendations, and be structurally involved in climate policy. They will also monitor what […]

Belgian consortium to produce green hydrogen in Egypt

November 16, 2022

Gas network operator Fluxys, dredging company DEME, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges port authorities are planning to produce green hydrogen in Egypt. The green hydrogen could be transported via the port of Antwerp or Zeebrugge, where Fluxys has already announced a first project. The project in Egypt should help meet the expected strong growth in […]

T&E: ‘No way trucks on e-diesel can compete with electric trucks’

November 16, 2022

Within a few weeks, the European Commission will review the truck’s CO2 standards, and lobbying groups of the industry and the environmental NGOs are bringing the heavy cannons to bear for the last influencers’ battle. So does Transport & Environment, publishing a study proving e-fuels can’t compete with battery electric trucks even in the most […]

BMW Brilliance expands battery production in China

November 15, 2022

The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) has announced an investment of some € 1.4 billion in the expansion of its electric car battery production in the city of Shenyang. This is to supply the vehicle plants there. This still involves the assembly of purchased cells into ready-to-install batteries, not in-house cell production. The […]

Greenpeace: ‘Auto industry overshoots by far 1.5°C global warming target’

November 14, 2022

To meet the Paris agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1,5°C above pre-industrial levels, the planet cannot support more than 315 million additional internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040, Greenpeace Germany reports based on a new study of the production forecasts of the world’s major carmakers. Carmakers plan to sell about 712 million more, […]