April 24, 2025
How can Belgium become climate-neutral by 2050 without driving industry out? Research institute VITO/EnergyVille formulated an answer: “The most expensive option is to do nothing.” Vito/EnergyVille launched a study and joined forces with several major players in the Belgian energy market: grid operators Elia and Fluxys, major consumers such as BASF and ArcelorMittal, and producer Luminus. With […]
April 15, 2025
Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the first with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre‑industrial level. The last ten years have been the warmest ten years on record. This is stated in the Copernicus European State of the Climate Summary 2024, compiled by the European climate service Copernicus and the […]
April 15, 2025
Energy company Engie has started constructing a solar park on its site in Rodenhuize, the peninsula in the port of Ghent that already houses three wind turbines and an ultra-fast charging station for EVs. Starting this summer, the installation will produce about 5.7 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, enough for the average consumption of […]
April 14, 2025
The member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the maritime branch of the United Nations, reached an agreement on Friday on greening shipping. The deal involves a standard to limit the use of fossil fuels and a price mechanism for companies that do not meet the imposed standards. Ships will have to emit 30 […]
April 08, 2025
According to the International Energy Agency’s latest report, transport in Germany is a significant obstacle to the country’s green energy transition, still accounting for 95% of all transport emissions. IEA experts identified transport as “the largest emitting sector in Germany” and thus a key area for additional focus. The IEA report highlights how Germany has […]
April 02, 2025
Between 2019 and 2023, business flights fell by 34%. That’s according to a new report by the NGO Transport & Environment. However, 44% of the 326 companies in the Travel Smart ranking still have no target applying to business travel, putting overall progress at risk. Especially the disproportionate flying of private jets by large companies […]
March 28, 2025
Europe’s major airlines think that Europe’s ReFuel legislation is not going to succeed in creating the affordable market for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is promised. They said this at a press conference in Brussels. They fear there will not be enough production. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report, released on Thursday, predicts a shortfall […]
March 24, 2025
According to the Progress Report on the Programmatic Approach to Nitrogen, nitrogen oxide emissions in Flanders have fallen by 35 percent between 2015 and 2022, and ammonia emissions have fallen by 9 percent in those seven years. Environment Minister Jo Brouns presented the report on Friday, March 21st. Nitrogen oxides (80%) mainly come from the […]
March 24, 2025
Brussels Airport is adding six new destinations to its network this summer, starting on March 30th. These destinations are both within Europe and intercontinental. Passengers will be able to fly directly from Brussels Airport to 180 destinations offered by 68 airlines. Some new summer destinations, such as Curaçao (TUI fly) and Bangkok (Thai Airways International), […]
March 21, 2025
The European Union and Belgium have made a clear commitment to climate neutrality to achieve the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. However, achieving this objective will require significant investments, leading to a profound transformation of our society. According to a new report from the Federal Climate Change Service in collaboration with the Study Committee […]
March 21, 2025
North Sea Port, the cross-border port area between Vlissingen (the Netherlands) and Ghent (Belgium), has installed a new jetty with shore power. Ships arriving in Ghent must now dock here. With this investment, North Sea Port strengthens its position as a European sustainable port. The sustainable jetty, located at the head of the Grootdok, is […]
March 20, 2025
Four scientists from KU Leuven, the University of Ghent, and Transport and Mobility Leuven have concluded that it makes no sense to choose the train instead of the plane for trips within the European Union to emit less CO2. Due to the European emission ceilings, someone else will emit the saved CO2 anyway. The Emission […]
March 17, 2025
A recent report indicates that London’s air quality has significantly improved since the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, an area where polluting vehicles are banned or must pay a congestion charge to enter. Annual roadside NO2 concentrations across the capital have been nearly halved (49%) between 2016 and 2023, while preliminary figures indicate London […]
March 14, 2025
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a dramatic rollback of vehicle emissions regulations. The changes, led by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin under the Trump administration, will relax emissions targets for cars, trucks, and power plants. Critics say it marks a fundamental shift away from the agency’s historic mission of environmental protection. Trump’s oil […]
March 13, 2025
According to communications from Wanfeng to investors, Chinese concern Wanfeng wants to acquire Volocopter, the German maker of flying cabs that take off vertically. Volocopter initiated bankruptcy proceedings late last year and hoped for a relaunch with new investors. Wanfeng wants to acquire the start-up for 10 million euros. Pioneer Volocopter makes vertically rising electric […]
March 07, 2025
The Norwegian Transport Ministry is planning to ask the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to prepare legislation to allow municipalities to establish zero-emission zones (ZEZ). It will give the latter the possibility to reduce emissions and push for cleaner transport. The Administration will specifically look at the technical, legal, and practical aspects. It also stresses that […]
March 05, 2025
Flemish public transport company De Lijn paid more than 70,000 euros in fines last year for violations of low-emission zones (LEZ), a multiple of the 2,350 euros from 2023. A total of 384 fines were involved. Especially Antwerp and Ghent, together with Brussels, the only three active LEZ in Belgium, were mainly responsible. In Antwerp, […]
March 04, 2025
According to the NGO Transport and Environment, almost one in two new buses (49%) sold in Europe in 2024 had zero emissions—electric or hydrogen—exceeding the objectives set by the European Union on CO2 standards for buses and making city buses one of the early success stories of the European Green Deal. Fuel cell buses comprised […]
March 04, 2025
According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brussels could weaken the CO2 target for car manufacturers in 2025. It is also holding out the prospect of a new battery subsidy. She explained that she wanted manufacturers to achieve the CO2 target over the next three years instead of this year, as initially planned, […]
March 03, 2025
More than 500 doctors have called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to uphold the planned 2035 phase-out of combustion engines, warning of serious health risks if the policy is weakened. The doctors criticized efforts to soften carbon dioxide (CO2) emission limits, arguing that delaying the transition would endanger public health. Road traffic […]
February 27, 2025
The European Commission proposed a significant action plan on Wednesday to accelerate the decarbonization of European industry. The Commission believes that EU countries must act now. The climate crisis, weak economic growth, declining business competitiveness, and significant geopolitical tensions (with Moscow, Washington, and Beijing) require a comprehensive transition plan. Various supporting measures should help with […]
February 26, 2025
The European Commission proposes banning polluting and harmful heating systems, such as wood-burning stoves, by 2027. Still, the proposal is encountering resistance in countries like Germany and the Czech Republic. A draft law was due to be presented in Brussels on February 12th. The law would impose more stringent limits on harmful particulate emissions from […]
February 25, 2025
According to the latest evaluation report from the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (Vlaams Energie- en KlimaatAgentschap, VEKA), the climate measures of the Flemish coalition agreement are insufficient to achieve the Flemish emission reduction target by 2030. With the new measures, Flanders is heading for a 33.2 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to […]
February 25, 2025
Freight transport by train in Belgium rose slightly again last year. Over 55.2 million tons of freight were transported by rail, 3.2% more than in 2023 but still less than the peak years of 2008 (73 million tons) and 2021 (63 million tons), according to data on the open data website of rail network operator […]
February 24, 2025
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn has placed a new order for charging poles for electric buses. This time, it involves 600 to 900 charging poles from SPIE-Ekoenergetyka with a capacity of 50 to 180 kW, representing an investment of 24.2 million euros. The order is important in preparing De Lijn’s 50 depots to […]
February 12, 2025
Last year, travelers offset their air travel emissions by purchasing approximately 28,000 tons of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) through the Brussels-based climate consultancy agency Greentripper. The organization uses ‘CO2 equivalent’ because this takes into account all greenhouse gases, not just CO2. According to Greentripper’s data, last year’s result is a status quo compared to 2023. The precise […]
February 10, 2025
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus’s development of the hydrogen aircraft is proceeding slower than expected, it says in a statement to the French news agency AFP. In doing so, Airbus is responding to a union pamphlet stating that the aircraft manufacturer has pushed back the target date for the aircraft’s entry into service by five to […]
February 03, 2025
Antwerp-based transport company ADLC, which offers transportation by drones to companies, has raised 2 million euros in fresh capital. With that additional money, the company plans to further expand its services in the maritime and offshore industry. From now on, DronePort in Sint-Truiden, at the former air force base in Brustum, Limburg, will also be […]
January 30, 2025
London Heathrow Airport, Europe’s largest airport, will get a third runway. The British government has given the go-ahead for this. “A third runway at Heathrow will lead to growth, boost investment, and make the United Kingdom more open and connected,” said British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. According to her, the runway, which will […]
January 22, 2025
Figures requested by Flemish member of parliament An Christaens (CD&V) show that the public transport company De Lijn has more than 300 buses with more than 1 million kilometers on the counter. Because of this outdated bus fleet, De Lijn is increasingly struggling with technical problems, and passengers are paying the toll. De Lijn has […]
January 22, 2025
With the stroke of a pen, new US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris climate agreement. In doing so, Trump is responding to the concern among many Americans and Western citizens that the international promise to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius will mainly disrupt current prosperity. “The United […]
January 20, 2025
According to a study by the Met Office, the UK’s national weather and climate service, the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) is now incompatible with IPCC pathways that remain below 1.5°C. Last year saw the fastest annual rise in atmospheric CO₂ concentration in the long-running record of measurements. Satellite measurements showed a huge rise […]
January 17, 2025
The Brussels urban movement BRAL, together with other civil society organizations, points out a legal error in the ordinance on the postponement of the tightening of the Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in the Brussels Capital Region. Due to a reference to the wrong article, many diesel and gasoline cars will be driving “illegally” in Brussels. According […]
January 15, 2025
Whatever efforts the aviation sector makes to meet climate goals will be in vain because of the predicted growth in air traffic, reports Transport & Environment in a new rapport, a screening of European environmental targets for air traffic. According to the NGO, the EU must develop measures to regulate air traffic growth to reduce […]
January 09, 2025
According to the Belgian Mobility Dashboard (BMD) calculations, the economic cost of traffic congestion in 2024 reached 5.3 billion euros, or 5% more than in the previous year. In 2024, that time loss per motorist averaged 6 minutes and 35 seconds per day or over 40 hours throughout the year, up 1% compared to 2023. […]
January 03, 2025
Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) wants to allow super trucks on Flemish highways within two years. The approval for the longer and heavier vehicles, or LHVs as these trucks that are up to 25,25 meters long and weigh up to 60 tons are officially called, will come on condition that a few strict […]
December 27, 2024
Starting January 1, Lufthansa will impose an environmental surcharge on flights departing from Europe. The surcharge ranges from 1 to 72 euros, depending on distance and travel class. For subsidiary Brussels Airlines, the environmental surcharge will be a maximum of 36 euros. “This surcharge is intended to cover part of the ever-increasing additional costs resulting […]
December 23, 2024
The long-awaited project around electric flying cabs in Paris will not happen this year. The French Council of State annulled the ministerial decree authorizing the creation of an aircraft take-off and landing platform of 740 m² on the Seine in Paris. French airport operator Aéroports de Paris (ADP), along with Volocopter, the German manufacturer of […]
December 20, 2024
The European Commission announced on Thursday that the European Union will launch a strategic dialogue on the future of its automotive industry in January. The initiative aims to develop rapid support measures for the auto sector as it grapples with the accelerated shift toward electric cars and the regulatory standards on average fleet emissions. The […]
December 19, 2024
As President Biden’s last days in office approach, his administration has granted California and eleven other states permission to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. This marks one of the most ambitious climate policies in the US, but President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to lift the ban. This has now been made […]
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 […]
December 12, 2024
At ArcelorMittal in Ghent, the first barge has been left with bioethanol derived from captured CO2. It is the first time that the steel plant’s so-called ‘Steelanol’ plant has provided enough sustainable fuel for inland barges to start using. The plant, a first for the European steel industry announced in 2019, could eventually reach an […]
December 11, 2024
IATA, the global airline umbrella organization, expects airlines worldwide to carry 5.2 billion passengers next year, the first time this will exceed the 5 billion mark. More passengers also mean more flights, leading to higher CO2 emissions from the aviation sector. For example, using more sustainable fuels, such as biomass or used oils, could help […]
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 […]
December 10, 2024
Belgium’s 218-year-old and most significant ‘car importer,’ D’Ieteren, has officially checked and approved its net-zero greenhouse emission targets for 2030 and 2050. These targets align with the scientific criteria for achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. The targets were ratified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). That includes a 42% reduction by […]
December 09, 2024
Italian rail operator Trenitalia, Swiss operator SBB, and Czech carrier RegioJet top a new ranking of European railway companies. The study was conducted by the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), which advocates for more environmentally friendly transport. The Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB ranks in the middle. France’s Ouigo, Greece’s Hellenic Trains, and Eurostar close the […]
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 […]
December 09, 2024
The Brussels Parliament has adopted an ordinance proposal to postpone the taxi sector’s obligation to purchase zero-emission vehicles by two years until January 2027. Green parties denounced the fact that since June, there has been no majority in the Brussels Parliament except for specific files, such as for the two-year postponement of the tightening of […]
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 […]
November 22, 2024
German parcel company DHL Express and energy company Shell have signed a one-year agreement for the use of 25,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Brussels Airport. This will allow it to replace a third of the traditional kerosene in the planes departing from Brussels Airport with the more environmentally friendly fuel derived from, […]
November 20, 2024
Following orders for e-buses from VDL Bus & Coach, Van Hool, and Chinese BYD, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn has again ordered similar buses from Italian Iveco. The order involves 32 18-meter articulated e-buses. Earlier, De Lijn ordered 109 similar buses from Iveco. The first vehicles from that order will be delivered this […]
November 19, 2024
The Danish government will introduce an emissions tax on livestock farming by 2030, making Denmark the first country in the world to do so. Although New Zealand announced a similar law in 2022, it was withdrawn after widespread farmer protests. The aim is to make agriculture more sustainable. Denmark is a big dairy and pork […]
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 […]
November 14, 2024
Engie and lime producer Carmeuse are terminating the Columbus project, an industrial carbon capture and use (CCU) plant at Amercoeur near Charleroi, for “economic and regulatory reasons.” The project had a total investment cost of more than 300 million euros. 187,000 tons of CO2 With the Columbus project, French energy company Engie and Carmeuse, in […]
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 […]
November 11, 2024
The private jet sector is emitting more and more greenhouse gases. Between 2019 and 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from private aviation nearly doubled. That’s according to a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. Last year alone, private aviation accounted for 15,6 million tons of CO2 emissions. In 2019, it was 10,7 million tons, or […]
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 […]
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 […]
October 30, 2024
The new Walloon Minister of Mobility, François Desquesnes (Les Engagés), wants to rebalance the prices of the public transport company TEC between different age groups. Currently, 18- to 24-year-olds pay only 12 euros a year for a season ticket, or one euro a month, while 12-17-year-olds pay much more. It is expected that free or […]
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 […]
