June 25, 2026
A new study by KU Leuven and Sciensano, published in the scientific journal ‘Environment International’, reveals that pollen allergy and asthma should not be treated as a ‘pollen-only’ problem but as a climate-health issue. It shows that the combination of higher temperatures, higher pollen concentrations, and air pollution leads to increased allergic symptoms and asthma in […]
June 25, 2026
From July 1, the Flemish kilometer charge for trucks will be linked to the vehicle’s CO2 emissions – the more environmentally friendly the truck, the lower the rate. In reality, the new measure will represent a material cost increase for many conventional trucks, leading the political parties Anders and Vlaams Belang to view this as a […]
June 24, 2026
Yesterday, we reported that electricity prices are rising sharply due to the massive demand for power to run air conditioners. The heat of the past few days and the demand for cooling are driving power prices to record highs. Prices above 1,000 euros per megawatt-hour have not been seen since 2020. However, to obtain electricity on […]
June 23, 2026
The heat of the past few days is driving electricity prices to their highest level in years. On the wholesale electricity market, 658.09 euros per megawatt-hour must now be paid. It has been since December 2022 that electricity has been this expensive. The most expensive time is around a quarter to nine and nine o’clock in […]
June 22, 2026
Parts of Europe are experiencing a severe heatwave. Several countries are suffering through the second heatwave of the year, leading to dangerous spikes in ground-level ozone pollution with devastating consequences for human and environmental health, warns the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Europe’s largest network of environmental NGOs. After several days of temperatures above 35°C, Italian […]
June 22, 2026
Last week, we reported that the site in Koningshooikt, which the bankrupt bus manufacturer Van Hool had offered for sale, had been sold for 21.5 million euros, but that it was not clear who ultimately bought the land. According to Van Hool’s bankruptcy trustee, the Dutch transport company G.A. den Otter Trucks is the new owner. […]
June 19, 2026
From 1 July 2026, many traffic fines in Belgium will increase by 10%. The De Wever government announced the measure late last year as part of its efforts to raise additional budget revenue. The effective date has now been set. The increase applies to immediate-collection fines: the standard penalties imposed for many common offenses without […]
June 18, 2026
We recently reported that the bankrupt bus manufacturer Van Hool from Koninkshooikt (Lier, Belgium) had put a 30-hectare business expansion site up for sale, and that the Flemish government was participating in the bidding process. In the meantime, the bidding period has ended and the land in Lier has been sold for 21.5 million euros. Flanders was […]
June 15, 2026
Lantis, the developer of the immense Oosterweel project in Antwerp, launched a new cycle route last Sunday that leads visitors past the construction works. The cyclists receive further explanation about the works and an idea of what the surroundings will look like in the future. The approximately 15-kilometer route, which starts at ‘Het Steen’, follows the existing […]
June 15, 2026
Three suspects, including a driving school director, have been arrested and placed in pretrial detention as part of an investigation into a large-scale driver’s license fraud scheme, the Antwerp police announced Friday. Investigators believe the fraudulent activities generated nearly half a million euros over approximately 3 years. The suspects were offering early appointments for practical […]
June 12, 2026
The number of traffic accidents in Belgium remained approximately the same in the first three months of this year, but what stands out is that the number of accidents in Flanders involving speed pedelecs has increased by 30% compared to the same period last year, from 142 to 184. In the province of East Flanders, […]
June 11, 2026
An electricity shortage is looming in the Netherlands. By 2030, the country will no longer be able to meet the full electricity demand. High-voltage grid operator TenneT warned of this on Wednesday in its Security of Supply Monitor 2026, an annual advisory report to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. TenneT estimates the power shortage at a […]
June 11, 2026
The Belgian gas shipping company Exmar has announced the historic delivery of its first seagoing vessel, partially powered by an ammonia engine. “A historic milestone for shipping,” the company stated in a press release on Wednesday. The newly built gas carrier has been named ‘MGC Antwerpen’ and is equipped with a dual-fuel motor: this means it […]
June 11, 2026
China’s rapid shift to electric and other new-energy vehicles reduced urban air pollution enough to prevent an estimated 262,000 premature deaths, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Health. The study’s researchers, published in May, compared actual pollution levels to a counterfactual scenario in which every vehicle on the road still ran on […]
June 11, 2026
Starting in July, anyone caught driving drunk will be given a twelve-hour driving ban. Until now, a driving ban following a positive alcohol test could last two, three, six, or twelve hours. The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport reported on Tuesday that the legislative amendment was published in the Official Gazette. By systematically revoking driver’s […]
June 09, 2026
For many Belgians, the car remains a constant for day trips, weekends, and holidays. However, the high cost of driving is causing motorists to choose, plan, and drive more consciously. This is evident from a new study commissioned by Auto5 among 809 Belgian motorists. Almost half say they are more cost-conscious: they think more about […]
June 08, 2026
More than half (53%) of the tram tracks in Flanders are in “poor to very poor” condition: 230 km of tram track are in bad or very bad condition (127 km in bad condition and 103 km in very bad condition). This is evident from figures released by the public transport company De Lijn on […]
June 08, 2026
The bankrupt bus manufacturer Van Hool from Koninkshooikt (Lier, Belgium) has recently put a 30-hectare business expansion site up for sale, and the Flemish government is participating in the bidding process. Not because it is trying to become e real-estate player, but because it wants to keep control over a rare, large, contiguous industrial site. […]
May 15, 2026
The delay in developing additional offshore wind turbines in the Princess Elisabeth Zone (PEZ), an area in the North Sea where new wind farms are planned, will be reflected in the electricity bills of families and businesses. According to the researchers, the delay would be at least five years. The offshore island is a complex […]
May 06, 2026
Emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, remain very high. The International Environment Agency (IEA) reported this on Monday during an international meeting in Paris, where its annual Global Methane Tracker report was presented. In 2025, record production from the fossil fuel sector (oil, coal, gas) was responsible for 35% of […]
May 04, 2026
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations scraps its gloomiest forecast: 4 to 6 degrees of global warming by 2100. The doomsday scenarios and ominous media reports about the future of the climate prove too bleak. Extreme global warming is not expected to progress that quickly, and the gloomy forecasts of sea […]
May 01, 2026
The ‘mobility budget’ system must be simplified before it becomes mandatory. That is what the social partners think. “Today, it is still far too complex,” they say. The mobility budget is a system that allows employees to exchange their company car for a budget they can spend on various ‘greener’ mobility solutions, such as a smaller […]
April 29, 2026
The European State of the Climate 2025, a weighty annual report by the EU, confirms once again that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. 2025 was extremely warm almost everywhere, and about 95% of Europe had above-average temperatures. Even near the Arctic Circle, temperatures exceeded 30°C. The average temperature on Earth is now […]
April 28, 2026
Flemish Minister of the Environment, Jo Brouns (CD&V), has granted grid operator Elia an environmental permit for the long-awaited Ventilus project, he announced on Monday. The wind energy sector and environmental organizations are relieved; action groups and companies along the route are disappointed. “Minister Brouns is completely disregarding 3,000 objections,” opponents say. New high-voltage line Ventilus […]
April 17, 2026
In France, old, polluting cars are once again allowed to drive in the city center. After all, the French parliament has decided to abolish the environmental sticker and low-emission zones – measures intended to reduce pollution in cities. The ‘zones à faibles émissions’ (ZFE), as they are called in France, were introduced in 2021 with […]
April 17, 2026
The Regional Environmental Permit Commission (Gewestelijke OmgevingsVergunningsCommissie, GOVC) has issued favorable opinions – although conditional – for the permits for the Ventilus high-voltage line. It is the final step before the decision by Flemish Environment Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V). Ventilus is the high-voltage line that Elia, Belgium’s high-voltage grid operator, plans to lay through West Flanders […]
April 16, 2026
The Belgian market for new motorcycles concludes the first quarter with distinctly positive momentum. With 6,990 registrations compared to 5,694 in 2025 (+22.8%), the sector records its best start to the season since 2021. In March 2026 alone, 3,169 motorcycles were registered. That is +10.2% compared to March 2025 and +5.5% above the average for […]
April 15, 2026
Jacques Vandermeiren (63), the CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, is stepping down after nearly ten years of service. He had been CEO since 2017 and would normally have remained in office until the end of 2029. The Dutchman Rob Smeets, currently COO, will temporarily take over the leadership. Next week, the port authority will start negotiations […]
April 15, 2026
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat, is starting an experiment with 24 ‘plant-based’ traffic signs along the A58 near Oirschot. Rijkswaterstaat wants to test whether these so-called ‘bio-signs’ can be an alternative to the existing aluminum traffic signs. The signboards are made from hemp, sugar waste, and vegetable oil. Real outdoor conditions The […]
April 14, 2026
According to a recent survey among 5,000 Belgian drivers by the Traffic Safety Institute Vias, more than one in three drivers admit they often drive too fast. Speeding is clearly no marginal behavior in Belgium, it’s mainstream, and seen as relatively socially acceptable. One in four respondents (26%) exceed the speed limit several times a […]
April 14, 2026
The Belgian entrepreneur Jasper Deprez wants to bring solar energy from space to Earth with his start-up TerraSpark. The reason was a personal and unpleasant experience. During the Great Spanish Blackout of 2025, Deprez, who lives near Barcelona, was without power for almost a week, and by his own account, it was hell, especially as a […]
April 13, 2026
On Sunday, Belgium reached its Overshoot Day. This means that if all countries in the world followed the Belgian consumption pattern, all the natural resources the planet could supply in one year would already be used up. We would then need 3.6 Earths. Every year, Global Footprint Network calculates Earth Overshoot Day: the date on which humanity […]
April 10, 2026
In 2024, the police fined about 460 drunk cyclists. Various newspapers reported this in recent days. And even more striking: about 270 times, this also led to the revocation of the driver’s license. In that case, the cyclist not only received a hefty fine but also had to leave his car or motorcycle parked for a […]
April 09, 2026
Offshore energy solutions company Jan De Nul has launched a new next-level high-performance vessel: the William Thomson, one of two identical subsea cable‑laying vessels currently under construction. Both vessels have a cargo capacity of 28,000 tons and a length of 215 meters. “This makes them the largest, most efficient, and highest-performing cable-laying vessels of their […]
April 09, 2026
The difference between day and night temperatures – scientists call it ‘the diurnal temperature range’ – in spring is growing, and that is not good news, scientists say. And the trend is confirmed by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In the past, nighttime temperatures increased faster than daytime temperatures, so […]
April 08, 2026
The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving and ‘smart’ electric tractors, is in dire straits. The company lays off almost all of its staff, puts its research site up for rent, and auctions off its assets. The Flemish taxpayer and a number of wealthy Belgian industrial families (Colruyt, Toye, Adriaenssen-de Spoelberch, Thermote) risk losing out. […]
April 08, 2026
Anyone driving to France should watch out for a new traffic sign on French highways: some lanes are marked with a raised diamond, indicating that the lane is reserved for cars with at least two occupants – also called ‘carpool lane’. Taxis and electric cars are also allowed to use them. The sign is often located […]
April 07, 2026
From January 11 to 22, 2027, the first ‘Ocean COP’ will take place, the first formal meeting of states that have ratified the groundbreaking treaty for the protection of the High Seas. The High Seas Treaty, as the meeting is officially called, will be held at the UN headquarters in New York. This treaty governs […]
April 07, 2026
Last year, almost 5.4 million people in Flanders used some kind of ferry service. This figure shows that ferry services play an important role in sustainable mobility, recreation, and local connections across our inland waterways. For many cyclists and walkers, they provide a fast and practical connection. Flanders has one of Europe’s densest cycling infrastructures, […]
April 02, 2026
The European Commission wants to limit high energy costs for heavy industry by lowering the price European companies pay to Brussels for their CO2 emissions. It would give entrepreneurs more financial breathing room in times of high energy prices and geopolitical unrest. A growing number of countries, including Poland and Italy, have been pushing for […]
April 01, 2026
On Tuesday, Colruyt’s online grocery service Collect&Go launched an innovative home delivery service in Leuven using an unmanned electric vehicle. The project began as a pilot earlier. The launch is part of the broader development of sustainable and efficient urban logistics. The vehicle is – for the time being – remotely controlled and monitored via […]
March 31, 2026
Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wants to introduce a mandatory helmet law for users of e-scooters exceeding 20 kilometers per hour and has drafted a royal decree to that end. His goal is clear: to save lives. Emergency doctors have long been advocating for a helmet mandate, and now politicians are following suit. The rule […]
March 30, 2026
Pieter De Crem (CD&V) was appointed chairman of high-voltage group Elia in February. This is stated in the company’s annual report. He succeeds Geert Versnick, who passed away last November. De Crem has been a member of the board of directors of the high-voltage group since 2021. He has also been appointed chairman of Elia […]
March 30, 2026
Last week, we reported that a gigantic white hydrogen bubble had been found, presumably extending across the subsurface beneath France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. There would be an estimated 34 million tons of soil, equivalent to 14 years of Belgium’s electricity consumption. Natural hydrogen fields are rare but highly useful to the industry. Scientists suspect […]
March 26, 2026
On March 25th, 2026, the Belgian-based dredging company DEME celebrated the naming of its next-generation wind turbine installation vessel ‘Norse Wind’. The celebration, which was held at the Port of Oslo, marks a significant addition to DEME’s offshore installation fleet. Prior to the naming ceremony, DEME was honored to welcome Their Majesties the King and the […]
March 26, 2026
Travelers will be able to fly directly from Brussels Airport to 180 destinations this summer season, which starts on Sunday. Eight new destinations have been added compared to last summer. For the first time, there are even more direct flights to China than to the US. Since last Tuesday, Air China, one of the world’s largest […]
March 25, 2026
According to preliminary figures from the European Commission, 19,400 people lost their lives in traffic in the European Union in 2025. This represents a 3 percent decrease from 2024, resulting in 580 fewer fatalities. However, progress is “too slow” to meet the 2030 target. “Given the increase in the number of vehicles on EU roads and […]
March 25, 2026
In Pontpierre, near Metz, in northeastern France, hydrogen has been tapped in its natural form. Drilling to a depth of more than 3,600 meters has now confirmed the presence of a significant amount. The white hydrogen bubble was discovered three years ago, but has only now been tapped. The hydrogen bubble is said to extend into […]
March 24, 2026
The French energy company TotalEnergies is canceling two major offshore wind projects in the United States. In return, the company is receiving almost $1 billion from the US government, provided that the funds are reinvested in fossil fuel projects in the country. The world upside down? The Donald Trump administration and TotalEnergies announced the deal […]
March 23, 2026
Last Friday, a remote-controlled ship sailed on the Walloon river network for the first time. The Novandi 2, a 110-meter-long cargo vessel, departed from Oupeye on the Albert Canal for its maiden voyage and was waved off by the Walloon Minister of Mobility and Infrastructure, François Desquesnes (Les Engagés). The remote control system, installed by tech […]
March 20, 2026
A new study has discovered that old-growth forests in Sweden store far more carbon than the industrial tree plantations that are rapidly replacing them, with soil accounting for most of the difference. The untouched forests in Sweden store 72 percent more carbon than managed forests, locking away greenhouse gases in spruce, pine, and needle-covered soils. […]
March 19, 2026
Lier (Antwerp) is the 22nd Belgian city where the national mail service Bpost is introducing its sustainable parcel logistics. From now on, Bpost will deliver parcels and mail in Lier emission-free by equipping its postal workers with electric vans or bikes. Twenty-three postal workers will conduct their rounds electrically, delivering up to 2,000 parcels per […]
March 18, 2026
On the island of Malta, they are tackling traffic congestion with a remarkable measure: young drivers (aged 18-30) will receive 25,000 euros when they hand in their driver’s license for five years. The Maltese government introduced the measure to reduce the growing number of cars on the road. The new regulation was introduced in January […]
March 17, 2026
Two friends and fellow students, Alessandro Heirman (27) and Lindert Bottelberghe (25), from Ghent have developed software to catch motorists overtaking cyclists in a bicycle zone. “In combination with artificial intelligence (AI), we have developed a software system capable of using cameras, which can even be already installed cameras, to detect cars overtaking a cyclist […]
March 17, 2026
EnergyVision gives Flemish customers with solar panels free plug-in batteries. The batteries have a capacity of 2.12 kilowatt-hours and are installed as standard in all new and existing installations – without contract adjustment. They can be placed near a power outlet and connected by an EnergyVision technician. With this initiative, EnergyVision aims to equip families better […]
March 13, 2026
The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch a new series of satellites into space starting March 24. The goal is to create a new layer of low-flying satellites that will make the European navigation system more robust, secure, and resilient, including against external attacks. But precision and speed should also improve, which is important for drones […]
March 12, 2026
In January, public transport company De Lijn announced the launch of two autonomous shuttles in Leuven, operating on line 16, the new line connecting the train station with the station and the borough of Heverlee. According to De Lijn, “a European first for a public transport company.” The euphoria was short-lived, however, as a test […]
March 12, 2026
The European Commission has given the green light to the Flemish government’s support for a Kairos@C project to capture and store greenhouse gases. Kairos@C is an industrial climate project by the chemical giants BASF and Air Liquide in the Port of Antwerp. The Commission considers the measure to be in line with European State aid rules. […]
March 11, 2026
Work-from-home policies are becoming stricter again. A quarter of all Belgian companies (16.6%) want to see their employees back in the workplace more often – at least four days a week. In some companies, more than half of the employees are always expected on the work floor. On the other hand, barely 5 percent of employees want […]
March 10, 2026
In 2025, the number of road deaths fell to its lowest level ever recorded. Last year, 445 people died in traffic accidents on Belgian roads. In Flanders, there were 234 deaths, 14 fewer (-6%) than in 2024, and in Wallonia, the number of road fatalities also fell from 197 to 191 (-3%). The figures come from the […]
