Climate change has long since ceased to be an abstract threat, and yet politicians hardly ever mention it. More than thirty years after the first alarm bells were raised, the political establishment still shrugs off the extreme temperatures.

“Two thousand people are dead, yet not even a minute of silence was observed,” said Jean-Pascal van Ypersele (UC Louvain), one of the country’s most prominent climate scientists, in an interview by VRT NWS.

“Not a word from the Prime Minister or the heads of the regional governments. It is as if those who died never existed and are merely a statistic.”  

Lack of political decisiveness

Van Ypersele is furious about the inadequate climate policy and criticizes the lack of public attention and political decisiveness – both during heatwaves, when the need is acute, and in addressing the root causes. Van Ypersele’s frustration is partly driven by years of what he considers “inadequate climate policy.”

“The first IPCC report (the overview of the most recent scientific knowledge regarding climate disruption, ed.) dates back to 1990. That was 36 years ago, and even then, it stated that we would experience more extreme temperatures worldwide,” van Ypersele explains.

“The IPCC and scientists from around the world have repeatedly stated that we must prepare better and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero as quickly as possible. Politicians, therefore, cannot claim they were unaware.”

Crisis plan

The Flemish opposition party Groen also shares the criticism voiced by the former vice-chair of the UN climate panel: politicians must take urgent action. But federal government sources dismiss the call to convene a European summit as shouting from the sidelines.

Belgium already has a heat crisis plan, according to government sources, which is adjusted after every heatwave. Consequently, the advice for the coming days remains to use common sense and keep an eye on vulnerable people.

Deafening silence

Meanwhile, there is a deafening silence while Southern Europe is held hostage by wildfires – hardly a shining example of decisive action. 

“We need politicians with the courage to lead the way,” says Dirk Holemans, former leader of Agalev (Groen) and now coordinator of the socio-ecological think tank Oikos. “We need to approach climate policy in a much more collective way.”

What van Ypersele specifically expects is action: public air-conditioned cooling centers accessible to everyone, including at night.

More greening and the removal of impermeable surfaces in public spaces. Better-insulated buildings and greater ambition regarding renewable energy and energy efficiency. But all this will require money. A lot of money.