Tens of thousands of people returned to the streets of Brussels on Sunday in one of Belgium’s largest climate demonstrations since the historic school strikes of 2019.

Police counted 45,000 participants, while organizers estimated 60,000, roughly twice last year’s turnout. Yet the renewed mobilization comes as climate ambitions increasingly compete with economic pressures, wars, and shifting political priorities.

While US President Donald Trump dismantles environmental regulations, European governments are reconsidering or postponing parts of their green agenda in the name of affordability and industrial competitiveness.

The EU’s planned carbon pricing for road transport and buildings has been delayed until 2028, while the future of combustion-engine cars remains the subject of political debate.

Belgium illustrates the contradictions. Flemish Climate Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) recently called the climate crisis the greatest challenge of our time. Yet her government has relaxed mandatory home renovation requirements, while its policies on airports, public transport, and renewable energy remain controversial.

From school strikes to social justice

The Belgian Climate Coalition organized Sunday’s demonstration, bringing together environmental organizations, trade unions, human rights groups, development NGOs, universities, youth movements, and families. Opposition politicians from Groen, Ecolo, PS, and PVDA/PTB also participated.

The coalition’s demands include phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies, taxing exceptional oil and gas profits, protecting nature, and helping households and businesses switch to renewable energy.

Affordable home insulation, renewable heating, accessible public transport, and protection against extreme weather are central to its program.

Seven years ago, climate activism was largely associated with Greta Thunberg and Belgium’s young campaigners, including Anuna De Wever. Thousands of schoolchildren skipped classes to demand action against global warming.

Today’s movement has a broader, more intergenerational profile. Its demands increasingly link climate action to purchasing power, health, social justice, and energy security. Climate change is no longer presented only as a threat to tomorrow’s planet, but also as an economic and social challenge today.

Trump, wars, and Europe’s changing priorities

The political environment has changed dramatically since 2019. In the United States, the Trump administration has rolled back major federal climate regulations, including the legal foundation for greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

Europe continues to pursue decarbonization, but its policymakers increasingly weigh climate targets against industrial competitiveness, household costs, and employment.

Meanwhile, Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East have pushed defense spending and energy security higher up the political agenda.

Ironically, these crises also reinforce the economic argument for abandoning fossil fuels. Renewable electricity, electric mobility, and heat pumps can reduce Europe’s dependence on imported oil and gas.

The European Commission’s proposals to ease certain reporting requirements for imported fossil fuels nevertheless illustrate how immediate economic pressures can complicate longer-term environmental objectives.

Clean investment grows, emissions still rise

Despite political headwinds, the energy transition has not stopped. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global investment in clean energy technologies is expected to reach approximately $2.2 trillion in 2026, nearly twice the amount invested in fossil fuels.

Electric vehicles, battery storage, solar power, and renewable electricity are increasingly driven by industrial competition and economic opportunities rather than climate policies alone.

Yet the atmosphere tells a less encouraging story. Global energy-related CO2 emissions reached another record in 2025, at almost 38.4 billion tonnes, according to the IEA. That is approximately 5% above their 2019 level, when climate demonstrations were at their peak.

In other words, the world is investing heavily in solutions without yet achieving a sustained reduction in global emissions.

A transition increasingly driven by economics

Sunday’s Brussels demonstration shows that public concern about climate change has not disappeared. However, campaigners face a more complicated political landscape than in 2019.

Governments must reconcile long-term emissions targets with short-term concerns about employment, household budgets, public debt, and military security.

For Europe’s automotive industry, the contradiction is particularly visible. Electrification continues, driven increasingly by technological progress, cost competition, and China’s expanding influence, even as manufacturers seek greater regulatory flexibility.

The climate transition may ultimately depend less on environmental commitments alone and more on energy security, industrial competitiveness, and economic necessity.

Sunday’s Brussels march demonstrates renewed public pressure for climate action. Whether European governments can match that urgency with effective policies remains the unanswered question.