October 05, 2026
The European climate agency Copernicus concludes that last summer was the hottest Western European summer on record. The average temperature was 21.7 degrees, 2.5 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 summer average, according to the latest Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) European Summer Review 2026, published on 2 October. Copernicus highlights the far-reaching consequences of these climate […]
October 05, 2026
A taxi with an internal combustion engine may remain in service in Brussels for up to 9 years, instead of 7. With this extension, the Brussels government aims to give the taxi sector more time to make the transition to zero-emission vehicles. However, the requirement that, starting January 1, 2027, only zero-emission new taxis may […]
October 02, 2026
Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) has proposed a series of operational and structural measures to reduce noise pollution around Brussels Airport. The minister was backed into a corner: he had to submit a proposal to the court by October 1, or risk a penalty of 10,000 euros for each new noise violation. Crucke […]
September 30, 2026
The A350F, the newest cargo aircraft from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, made its maiden flight yesterday. The A350F is the largest cargo aircraft Airbus has built to date. Airbus calls the first test flight “an important milestone.” To date, 115 A350Fs have been ordered. Airbus promises up to 40% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions […]
September 29, 2026
Recently, yet another stir arose over the status of company cars in Belgium. As part of federal budget negotiations, the Planning Bureau listed more than 250 cost-saving options, including one that sparked considerable debate: eliminating or reducing tax benefits for company cars and fuel cards. Once implemented, that could generate 4,5 to 5,5 billion, nearly […]
September 28, 2026
At InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, the Swiss train manufacturer Stadler unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-powered train developed specifically for narrow-gauge railways. In collaboration with 3 Italian rail operators, Stadler is building 21 trains for Sardinia, Calabria, and Sicily. 10 of these hydrogen-powered trains will save more than 2,100 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to […]
September 24, 2026
Brussels Airport is the first European airport to test a mobile blending facility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The project is the final phase of the Stargate project, established with the support of the European Commission, through which the airport has explored more than 30 sustainability measures in recent years. “We remain committed to […]
September 22, 2026
As poetic as a contrail – or condensation trail – may be, the white trails left behind by high-altitude aircraft are not nearly as harmless as they appear. Although they come from only a small fraction of flights, they contribute to global warming at a level comparable to aviation’s CO2 emissions. A new report by […]
September 15, 2026
Most of Europe’s biggest airports plan to expand to accommodate more passengers in the coming years. Transport & Environment (T&E), a European NGO focused on sustainable transportation, assessed the expansion plans and traffic forecasts of twenty of Europe’s largest airports in ten countries against a Paris Agreement-compliant 1,7°C carbon budget. And guess what? By 2050, […]
September 10, 2026
Should the climate lawsuit filed by Belgian organic farmer Hugues Falys against TotalEnergies be moved again from Mons to Tournai? If it were up to the French oil giant, it would be, as TotalEnergies has filed a motion to that effect. In any case, it is a remarkable procedural move, and according to the NGOs […]
September 09, 2026
The Norwegian fertilizer giant Yara inaugurated Europe’s largest CO2 capture plant on Monday in Sluiskil (the Netherlands), near the Belgian border. The aim is to capture up to 800,000 tons of CO2 from its ammonia production every year, or about 0.5 percent of the Netherlands’ total annual emissions, and store it permanently. The plant completes […]
September 08, 2026
Antwerp, Leuven, and Brussels Airport are now connected to Germany – specifically Cologne – by high-speed train. This is the first-ever high-speed train service between Antwerp and Germany. Deutsche Bahn is operating its newest ICE neo trains on this route, which can accommodate over 400 passengers and reach speeds of up to 300 km/h. Thanks […]
September 04, 2026
Travelers, aircraft manufacturers, aviation enthusiasts, and those nostalgic for the Concorde are dreaming aloud of a comeback for supersonic flight. Now that regulations in the U.S. are being amended to lift the absolute ban on supersonic flight over the country, nothing seems to stand in the way of a return of commercial flights at speeds […]
September 04, 2026
On July 23, Flightradar24 recorded 153,359 commercial flights worldwide within 24 hours – the busiest day ever recorded, well above the previous record set in 2023. That figure – 16,134 more flights than the old record – also sets the tone for the entire month of July, as global demand for air travel rose by […]
August 31, 2026
Starting September 1, several new rules will take effect in Belgium, affecting traffic and mobility. For example, helmets will be required when riding an e-scooter capable of speeds exceeding 20 km/h. In Flanders, cars will only need to be inspected every two years after the initial inspection. Because an inspection certificate is valid throughout Belgium, […]
August 25, 2026
On August 22, seawater temperature (between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north latitude) reached its highest level ever – 21.10°C, the highest sea surface temperature ever measured. The European Earth observation service Copernicus announced this in a press release on Monday. The new figures even break the previous record of 21.09°C set in March 2024. […]
August 18, 2026
From the High Fens in the Belgian Ardennes to the island of Skyros in Greece: Europe is desperate for every drop of water to put an end to wildfires, but amphibious firefighting aircraft are, of course, also crucial for extinguishing large-scale forest fires. Unfortunately, Europe is currently facing a severe and critical shortage of these […]
August 11, 2026
Scientists have run the numbers, and the result isn’t exactly a pat on the back for the internal combustion engine. A study published in Science shows that replacing a functioning gasoline car with an EV cuts lifetime carbon emissions by 58%. Even if that gasoline car is only a year old. Also, the old “drive […]
August 10, 2026
The Belgian Interfederal Screening Committee, a body tasked with ensuring that major investments by foreign, non-European organizations do not lead to geopolitical surprises, has decided to block the acquisition of the Ostend-based helicopter operator Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV) by a Chinese investor. These concerns relate to “risks to national security, Belgium’s strategic interests, and possible […]
August 10, 2026
In July 2026, prolonged hot and dry conditions in western Europe led to the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires. Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record, and July saw the third and fourth heatwaves since May, marking an exceptional run of extreme heat this summer. Globally, the month was the joint second […]
August 10, 2026
Four German federal states are temporarily lifting the driving ban that has kept trucks off the highways on Sundays and public holidays since 1956. The measure came into effect this weekend and is intended to provide an alternative to waterborne transport, given the extremely low water levels of the Rhine. The states of Rhineland-Palatinate, North […]
August 04, 2026
Anyone who thought we could turn back the climate clock and return to the old ‘normal’ is in for a disappointment. Even if we stop driving gasoline-fueled cars and having barbecues, no one alive today will ever experience that former normal again. The sobering message comes from Bart Strengers, a climate scientist at the Netherlands Environmental […]
August 04, 2026
The British multinational oil and gas company Shell is selling its European onshore renewable energy operations, such as wind and solar farms, to the French group TotalEnergies. The deal involves a portfolio of 4 gigawatts, of which 500 megawatts are currently operational. Under CEO Wael Sawan, Shell has taken a more critical look at renewable […]
July 31, 2026
The prolonged heat is leading to low water levels in rivers. This year has been marked not only by low water levels, but also by their remaining below the minimum navigable level for an extended period. This, in turn, is developing into a combined transport, industrial, agricultural, and water-management crisis. The immediate problem is that […]
July 29, 2026
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 […]
July 27, 2026
Climate change is no longer an abstract threat but a harsh reality. Forest fires are raging so fiercely in Spain, France, and other European countries that some have declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile, roughly 300,000 to 360,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain due to wildfires. In Belgium, the June 27 heatwave […]
July 22, 2026
Last June, Western Europe was hit by the most widespread heat wave on record, and several countries in Southern Europe are currently still grappling with persistent, intense heat and wildfires. UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, then called on countries in Europe, North America, and Central Asia to urgently make their transportation infrastructure […]
July 20, 2026
The European Commission wants to give heavy industry more time to curb CO2 emissions. This became apparent on Friday during the presentation of the long-awaited reform of the European Emissions Trading System (ETS1). Companies in the most energy-intensive sectors – chemicals, cement, steel, glass, etc. – have for years been required to pay for the CO2 […]
July 20, 2026
The flight tax for flights longer than 500 km, which the Belgian government had planned to raise from 5€ to 10€ starting in 2027, has ultimately been set at 7€. The inner cabinet decided it. “This change better protects Wallonia’s economic interests while also meeting the federal government’s budgetary targets”, says the office of Walloon […]
July 14, 2026
The Belgian company John Cockerill Hydrogen has unveiled its first hydrogen electrolyzer designed and manufactured entirely in France. The unveiling took place in Belfort at McPhy’s industrial site, which John Cockerill Hydrogen acquired last year, along with some of its staff and patents. The 30-metric-ton unit enables the production of decarbonized hydrogen from water. Push […]
July 14, 2026
Air conditioners are generally considered ‘environmentally unfriendly’ due to their high electricity consumption. However, using them in winter can reduce CO2 emissions. Air conditioners, which function as heat pumps, owe this positive contribution to their efficient operation. A portion of the heating provided by a heat pump, therefore, counts as renewable energy, allowing users with […]
July 13, 2026
Starting May 1 of next year, Belgium plans to require a road vignette for all drivers on Belgian highways and regional roads. “Yet another one,” the exasperated drivers must be thinking as they prepare to set off on vacation by car, because the myriad systems for road and environmental vignettes and low-emission zones (LEZ) across […]
July 13, 2026
On Saturday in France, protesters demonstrated against the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, a key component of the Seine-Scheldt Link, a large-scale inland waterway project intended to connect the French river with ports in Belgium and the Netherlands by 2032. Protesters are particularly concerned about the impact on waterways and wetlands, and the loss […]
July 10, 2026
The June heat wave led to a notably higher excess mortality rate in Wallonia and Brussels than in Flanders. Experts point to a combination of factors: geographic conditions, the urban heat island effect, socioeconomic vulnerability, housing quality, and possibly air pollution. Because no matter how you look at it, poverty has long been linked to […]
July 10, 2026
The number of airline passengers is projected to more than double by 2045, following an average annual growth rate of 3.9%, reaching approximately 10 billion per year. This is according to Airbus’s new Global Market Forecast 2026-2045, the European aerospace corporation. Although the aviation industry has set a net-zero goal for 2050, the forecast also […]
July 09, 2026
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), June 2026 was the hottest June on record for Western Europe and the second-warmest globally. The heatwave that hit much of Europe during the second half of June came only a few weeks after a particularly intense heatwave in May, followed by another in early July. The […]
July 09, 2026
The European aerospace corporation Airbus plans to establish a joint venture with aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines to produce hydrogen-powered engines. These engines are intended to eventually serve as an alternative to fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines, thereby reducing CO2 emissions from aviation. Fuel cells Through the joint venture, which is expected to become operational […]
July 08, 2026
Biodiversity in Belgian coastal waters has changed fundamentally over the past few decades due to global warming. Typical cold-water species, such as brown shrimp, gobies, and herring/sprat, are now far less abundant, whereas warm-water species (like the venomous lesser weever) and comb jellies are thriving. This is shown by research conducted by biologist Ward Stellamans […]
July 08, 2026
The Brussels government is looking for a date for a second car-free Sunday, and the process isn’t going smoothly. Social media, in particular, where Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is coming under fire, especially from mainly anti-Good Move civic groups, is fanning the flames. The reason for the commotion? The coalition agreement stipulates […]
July 04, 2026
Brussels Airlines has taken delivery of its 8th Airbus A320neo aircraft. Thanks to its investment in this quieter aircraft model, the Belgian airline has halved its fleet’s noise pollution since 2014. Although Brussels Airlines’ approach to reducing noise pollution is sincere, its legal strategy is moving in the opposite direction. Indeed, it recently vehemently opposed […]
July 03, 2026
Last summer, 1.6 million train tickets to international destinations were purchased from the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB, a 6% increase over the previous year. Current ticket sales also confirm this upward trend. One reason Belgians are increasingly choosing to travel by train is the growing range of destinations available. Currently, you can travel from […]
June 30, 2026
Starting Wednesday, July 1, the grace period in Brussels will officially end, and the tax authorities will begin issuing fines to the latest group of drivers who violate the low-emission zone (LEZ) standards. Specifically, more than 13,000 vehicles – Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline cars that received a warning earlier this year – […]
June 26, 2026
Between 2019 and 2024, the number of unique classic cars, or old-timers, driving through Brussels’ Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) more than tripled, from around 4,500 to nearly 14,000 vehicles. This is according to figures from Brussels Environment that Member of Parliament Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) requested. According to the Brussels parliamentarian, this indicates that these cars are […]
June 25, 2026
The new rules the EU plans to introduce for booking tickets for cross-border rail travel still mean that nearly half of the busiest international train journeys are difficult or impossible to book. That’s according to T&E, a lobby group for sustainable mobility, in a new report. T&E also proposes several changes and measures that would […]
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 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 24, 2026
The ongoing heat wave continues to cause problems for NMBS/SNCB: through Friday, the Belgian public railway company will cancel 100 trains daily. According to NMBS/SNCB, the measure is necessary to ensure the well-being and safety of both passengers and staff. Despite recent modernization efforts, many older trains lack air conditioning and are also more prone […]
June 23, 2026
Australian metal mining company Fortescue is set to charter up to 12 Newcastlemax vessels – giant dry bulk carriers with a deadweight tonnage of 210,000 metric tons – capable of running on ammonia from Bocimar, the pioneer in green propulsion with the Belgian shipping company CMB.TECH. Ammonia is seen as a promising alternative fuel for […]
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
The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB will cancel some P-trains today and tomorrow due to the heat wave. These are mostly older, non-air-conditioned trains that have been parked in direct sunlight all day. Passengers are advised to plan their trips before departure via the NMBS/SNCB website or app. No airco P-trains operate during peak hours. […]
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 18, 2026
The Antwerp-based construction company Smulders will participate in the construction of a power outlet in the North Sea for the German grid operator 50Hertz, a subsidiary of the Belgian high-voltage group Elia. The offshore power connector, known as ‘North Sea Connector 2,’ will enable up to 2 gigawatts of wind power electricity to be transmitted […]
June 15, 2026
NÜWIEL, a German manufacturer of eTrailers, has been selected by the City of Antwerp for a new pilot project under the “Smart to Antwerp” initiative to help the city transition to zero-emissions logistics. Local businesses and entrepreneurs can try NÜWIEL’s eTrailer for free for 4 weeks to see if it can help reduce traffic congestion […]
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 10, 2026
The Belgian-Limburg logistics group H. Essers has opened a new inland waterway container terminal in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands. Thanks to its location outside the dike, inland waterway containers can now remain on the water from start to finish between the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The new terminal has a capacity of 250,000 […]
June 08, 2026
Normally, the LEZ fines for Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline vehicles were set to take effect in Brussels on June 7, but the date has been postponed yet again. Brussels Minister of Finance Dirk De Smedt (Anders) has now confirmed that the fines can be collected starting July 1. Specifically, 13,219 vehicles that […]
June 08, 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has nearly halved its profit forecasts for airlines. This is primarily due to higher fuel prices, but also because the war in the Middle East has severely disrupted flights through aviation hubs such as Dubai. Nevertheless, IATA estimates that this year the number of passengers will exceed 5 billion […]
June 01, 2026
Renault Group is announcing the renewal of its science-based targets, with a new approval of its near- and long-term targets by the Science Based Targets initiative. These targets are supported by the product momentum of the ‘futuREady’ strategic plan. In 2019, Renault Group was the first carmaker to rely on science-based climate targets. Renault is announcing the renewal of its science-based […]
May 20, 2026
According to new data from the International Council on Clean Transportation ICCT, zero- and low-emission architectures accounted for a quarter of all global light-duty vehicle sales in 2025. While established markets show significant variation, emerging economies — particularly in Southeast Asia — are rapidly accelerating the e-mobility transition. The global electrification of light-duty vehicles, combining […]
May 12, 2026
American company LanzaTech has chosen North Sea Port in Ghent as the site for its first European plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using alcohol-to-jet technology. The project involves an investment of 500 million euros. The plant is expected to create 50 permanent jobs, in addition to approximately 300 jobs during the three-year construction […]
