March 09, 2026
According to a new study by Grant Foster and Stefan Rahmstorf from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Earth is warming faster than ever before. The study also showed that the rate of warming in the last decade was higher than in any previous decade since the beginning of instrumental records in 1880. The paper was published […]
March 02, 2026
Emissions from wood combustion in Flanders have risen sharply – by more than 44% in 2022 (and even 140% compared with 2019). Yet, the Flemish government reports to Europe that the figures are falling by 16%. Due to inaccurate reporting and a flawed wood-burning stove policy, the health risks are underestimated. Sales of wood and pellet […]
February 27, 2026
From September 7th, there will be a new high-speed train connection between Antwerp and Cologne, with a stop at Brussels Airport. The new train connection, which will run twice a day in each direction and will also stop in Liège and Leuven in Belgium, will be launched by Deutsche Bahn. Brussels Airlines, among others, will […]
February 24, 2026
Despite a sharp decline, Belgium’s climate footprint remains one of the largest in the European Union. According to the latest Eurostat report, Belgians emitted an average of over 10.3 tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, about 15% above the EU average, and roughly 60% above the world average. In 2023, the greenhouse gas footprint in the […]
February 13, 2026
The climate is no longer the US government’s problem. On Thursday, the Trump administration rolled back the mechanism allowing the government to regulate planet-heating pollution. Trump says he believes climate change is a hoax, and has withdrawn the United States from global efforts to combat it. President Trump officially disavowed scientific research that labels CO2 […]
February 10, 2026
Belgium’s greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, have been falling for over twenty years, but in 2024, they stopped declining and even increased slightly again (about +0.2%) compared with 2023. Although long-term emissions are declining, projections indicate that current plans are not on track to meet EU or national targets for 2030. The rebound is mainly […]
February 09, 2026
Flemish families who purchase a heat pump can count on a subsidy of up to 8,000 euros. They can also take out a low-interest or, in some cases, interest-free renovation loan to purchase a heat pump. Because electricity is now four times as expensive as gas, the Flemish government will also implement an energy tax […]
February 04, 2026
In northern Antwerp, energy provider Fluvius has begun construction of Flanders largest heating network to date. Residual heat from the waste-processing company Indaver will be used from the end of this year to heat about 3,800 social housing units, eight schools, and a municipal workshop in the Luchtbal (Antwerp) and Rozemaai (Ekeren) neighborhoods. Such a […]
February 02, 2026
Earlier this week, the European Commission, in its assessment of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), acknowledged that Belgium has raised its ambitions, but that the country still needs to make additional efforts in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Belgium’s environmental protection spending rose to €18 billion in 2023, equivalent to 3% of […]
January 29, 2026
The Dutch government has done far too little to protect the inhabitants of Bonaire, an island in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, from the consequences of climate change. The cabinet must therefore develop a concrete plan to protect Bonaire’s residents better. Furthermore, the government must establish “clear and binding” targets within eighteen months to reduce […]
January 28, 2026
Belgium has raised its ambitions in its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), but still needs to make further efforts in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the coming years. But for the time being, the country will not be presented with a multi-million dollar bill. If an EU member state fails to reduce its CO2 […]
January 27, 2026
Carmakers across Europe have been granted breathing room to meet their CO2 targets. Some of the industry’s biggest names—most notably Volkswagen—were spared from facing hefty fines. The acceleration of EV sales last year, now at almost 20% of registrations, helped buy them some extra time. According to a report by the ICCT (International Council on […]
January 26, 2026
The company car system in Belgium is a unique phenomenon. And although the system is popular with users, it also attracts significant criticism, partly because it costs 4 billion euros a year. Brussels Groen leader and Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt wants this tax money used to fund train passes costing €12 […]
January 22, 2026
A recent study by the American investment bank Jefferies estimates that the four largest American Airlines could save as much as 580 million dollars per year in fuel costs if passengers weighed less. The study approaches the weight issue from a surprising angle, namely the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on often controversial weight loss drugs […]
January 19, 2026
The three regions in Belgium launch ‘Life Cycle Impact’, an all-in environmental score for cars, compared mutually based on their total lifecycle impacts. It’s an enlargement of the well-known Ecoscore and resumes in one figure the impact of production, fuel production, and use over 200,000 km. The score, developed by the research center Vito and […]
January 14, 2026
If global warming continues at its current pace, the most important global climate goal could be missed by the end of this decade. The European climate service Copernicus warns of this in an annual report. The last eleven years have been the warmest on record – an undeniable trend toward a warmer climate – the Copernicus […]
January 12, 2026
The French-speaking liberal MR faction in the Brussels Parliament has proposed a measure to significantly reduce fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the capital. The MR strongly opposes what it calls ‘punitive ecology’. It wants to reduce LEZ fines from €350 to €15. This would immediately remove the big stick for owners […]
January 08, 2026
According to the German Hydrographic and Maritime Transport Office (BSH), the temperature of the North Sea in 2025 was the hottest ever recorded. Compared to the long-term average from 1997 to 2021, it was 0.9°C warmer. The BSH examines the surface temperatures of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea weekly, combining satellite data with […]
January 06, 2026
Norway closed out 2025 with a milestone: nearly 100% of electric car registrations. The country has officially reached its long-standing target: a new car fleet free of tailpipe emissions. Simultaneously, the share of electric cars on Norwegian roads now overshadows that of diesel cars. Norway’s new-car market shattered records in 2025, both in total sales […]
January 06, 2026
Brussels Airport has experienced substantial growth in the intercontinental segment over the past few years. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, the share of so-called ‘long-haul’ flights rose by more than 11%. This growth is the result of a deliberate strategy to strengthen Brussels as an international hub. From Africa to North and Latin America […]
December 29, 2025
From January 1, the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the Brussels-Capital Region will be tightened. Diesel vehicles with Euro 5 standards and gasoline vehicles with Euro 2 standards will no longer be allowed to enter. Brussels car dealers are noticing this tightening, writes BRUZZ. For example, the banned Euro 5 diesels have become a lot cheaper […]
December 29, 2025
While millions of people try to reduce their ecological footprint – by saving energy, buying fewer clothes, and sorting waste – the world’s wealthiest continue to emit the same amount of carbon as the average person does in a year by going on holiday just once. In other words, while ordinary citizens are encouraged or […]
December 23, 2025
The automotive sector will introduce a new environmental contribution to battery recycling from electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2026. This was reported by Febelauto, the automotive sector’s management body for end-of-life vehicles and their batteries. This new contribution is in addition to the environmental contribution from the vehicle’s sustainable recycling. For a fully electric passenger […]
December 17, 2025
In Ghent (Belgium), more than 250 residents will be measuring air quality in and around their homes for three months. This pilot project, called ‘Luchtmeters’ (Air meters), aims to map particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5), an essential source of pollution from wood stoves, traffic, and industry. The pilot is also intended to share experiences and raise […]
December 16, 2025
Flemish arable land, intensively cultivated and driven over by heavy machinery, has the lowest soil carbon stock per hectare, particularly in the topsoil. Even the average Flemish garden performs better. Frequent tillage, heavy machinery, and limited long-term organic inputs accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, thereby increasing CO₂ emissions. This is evident from the latest […]
December 12, 2025
Europe will no longer hold on to its long-promised ban on new registrations of gasoline and diesel cars as of 2035. The Commission has settled for a rewrite, now demanding that the average vehicle sold will be obliged to emit 90% less CO2 after that deadline. Pitched as a measure to safeguard jobs in the […]
December 11, 2025
TotalEnergies’ lawyers have, in turn, presented their arguments in the so-called ‘Farmer case’, the lawsuit brought by Hugues Falys, an organic farmer from Hainaut, against the French oil giant. Falys holds the energy company responsible for climate change and, consequently, for the storms and droughts that have significantly impacted his business. According to them, a […]
December 11, 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly rewritten its climate-change pages, removing or downplaying the scientific consensus that human emissions of greenhouse gases are the dominant cause of current global warming. Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, climate science is being rewritten step by step, and some essential aspects on the EPA’s website have […]
December 11, 2025
Last week, President Donald Trump’s administration proposed loosening federal fuel-economy standards, giving automakers a reprieve from stringent emissions rules and prompting some analysts and environmental organizations to say the change could mean the return of the gas-guzzler. Trump and Department of Transportation officials said automakers might now be required to meet an average of 34.5 […]
December 10, 2025
Sustainability saves lives and the global economy. Investing in a sustainable planet could extend millions of lives, end hunger, and ultimately generate trillions of dollars a year for the worldwide economy. That is the conclusion of 287 scientists from 82 countries in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) ‘s Global Environmental Outlook, the most comprehensive report […]
December 09, 2025
Six EU member states have urged the European Commission in a letter to weaken the planned 2035 ban on new registrations of internal combustion engine cars. The signatories are primarily from Central and Eastern European countries. A group of six EU member states is urging the European Commission to permit the sale of hybrid vehicles […]
December 08, 2025
In the future, Brussels’ Maximilian Park will also serve as a source of heating and cooling for the surrounding buildings. Test drilling will begin today as part of the park’s energy transition in the North District. Be.SHARE, a project for a low-temperature network, aims to drastically reduce CO2 emissions in the district by replacing fossil […]
December 05, 2025
There is an EU agreement for a system like the Belgian Car-Pass, at least if it is up to the European transport ministers. With this initiative, Europe aims to tackle odometer fraud in second-hand vehicles across the European Union. The mandatory registration system is primarily based on the operating principles of the Belgian Car-Pass, a […]
December 03, 2025
On Tuesday, the German premium car manufacturer BMW set a new 2035 milestone to cut CO2-equivalent emissions on the road to net zero. By 2035, the Munich-based company wants to emit at least 60 million tons of CO2 equivalents less than in 2019 – CO2 equivalents (CO2e) account for not only carbon dioxide but also […]
November 27, 2025
According to Ryanair, Belgium is pricing itself out of the market now that the De Wever government has decided that the flight tax will be €10 for all flights from 2027, while other countries are reducing or completely scrapping their taxes. However, the Irish low-cost airline’s comment should be taken with a grain of salt. […]
November 26, 2025
The US government is trying to roll back the particulate matter limits set by former President Joe Biden. The 2024 rule had cut the allowable ambient concentration of PM2.5 from 12 µg/m³ to 9 µg/m³ — a move aimed at significantly reducing air pollution and protecting public health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), now headed by a director appointed by […]
November 26, 2025
The trial in the case brought by Hugues Falys, a farmer from Hainaut, against oil giant TotalEnergies has only just begun, but has already taken a surprising turn. The judges who were to preside over the case will be replaced. The reason for this reshuffle? One of the three judges on the court has withdrawn […]
November 25, 2025
From 2027, the air passenger tax in Belgium will increase for flights over 500 kilometers from €5 to €10 per departing passenger. This is the second time in this legislative period that the federal government will increase the tax on airline tickets. Brussels Airlines points out that it cannot pay the additional tax out of its […]
November 24, 2025
What was supposed to be the climate summit of truth ended this weekend in Belém, Brazil, with a highly vague closing statement that offered no concrete commitments. In other words, COP30 in Belém ended with a weak but not-zero deal. It modestly advances climate finance and “just transition” issues, but ducks the central question of a phase-out […]
November 21, 2025
Ghent ranks third in the Copenhagenize Index of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities, after Utrecht and Copenhagen. The index is compiled every two years by the Danish consultancy Copenhagenize Desing Co., an agency specializing in bicycle strategy, urban planning, and mobility, and is considered an international benchmark. Antwerp ranks eighth. Brussels, the only other Belgian […]
November 20, 2025
The trial of Hugues Falys, a farmer from Hainaut, against TotalEnergies has begun before the Commercial Court of Tournai. At the beginning of 2024, with the support of Greenpeace and others, the farmer sued the French multinational for his role in climate change. The first climate case brought by a citizen against a multinational in […]
November 19, 2025
Belgium ranks 37th on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), the annual ranking of climate performance by environmental NGOs. This means the country has dropped two places compared to last year. The CCPI evaluates the climate‐mitigation performance of 63 countries plus the European Union (EU) — together covering more than 90 % of global greenhouse […]
November 18, 2025
The city of Antwerp has drawn up its first specific ‘pedestrian program’. The program aims to increase the number of journeys made on foot. The program is an important part of the desired ‘modal shift’, in which journeys by private car are replaced as much as possible by more sustainable alternatives. Because “if we make […]
November 14, 2025
French multinational Air Liquide, a company with a strong focus on innovation and the energy transition, has started up an ammonia cracker in the Antwerp-Bruges port area. This is a pilot plant that cracks ammonia and converts it into hydrogen. According to Air Liquide, this is a world first, and the project will save more than […]
November 14, 2025
The Flemish and Walloon governments reached an agreement at the beginning of this month with some of the largest CO2 emitters in Belgian industry on the capture, storage, and transport of carbon dioxide, also known as CCUS. The agreement was signed yesterday at building materials manufacturer Holcim in Obourg, near Mons, by Flemish Minister-President Matthias […]
November 13, 2025
Electricity will become an increasingly important energy source over the next ten years, according to the International Energy Agency. The agency expects electricity demand to grow by at least 40 percent between now and 2035. We will use more and more electricity for air conditioning, industry, electric mobility, data centers, and electric heating. The switch […]
November 12, 2025
If current trends continue, the demand for air conditioning could triple by 2050. This is the warning from the Global Cooling Watch 2050 study, published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the sidelines of COP30, the UN climate summit that started on Monday in Belem, Brazil. The increase is thought to be due to population […]
November 11, 2025
Twenty-one European airlines have committed to stop making claims in relation to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions deemed misleading, the European Commission said on Friday. The airlines include some of the largest in Europe, such as Lufthansa (parent company of Brussels Airlines), Ryanair, KLM, and Air France. In May, the Belgian Federal Public Service Economy’s economic inspectorate, […]
November 07, 2025
The European Commission wants to accelerate the rollout of the high-speed rail network by 2040. By significantly reducing travel times between European capitals, rail is set to become a more attractive alternative to short-haul flights. The ambitious plan also includes a new high-speed connection between Lisbon and Paris via Madrid. This would allow train passengers […]
November 06, 2025
On the eve of the UN climate summit in Brazil, the EU climate ministers reached an agreement on a 2040 climate target on Wednesday morning. The EU member states have agreed to the European Commission’s proposal to reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2040 compared to 1990. However, the agreement has been weakened in several areas. […]
November 05, 2025
In March, the Mobility Committee of the Brussels Parliament already reached a consensus: Villo!, the public bike-sharing system, is underperforming and urgently needs to be replaced. A new report by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA) now confirms this negative trend. Between 2018 and 2024, Villo! rented out no less than 40,2% fewer […]
November 03, 2025
Thanks to the Paris Climate Agreement, our planet is no longer heading toward a catastrophic 4 degrees of warming, but is still facing an additional 2.6 degrees Celsius. That is what climate specialists from the World Weather Attribution and Climate Central have calculated. Ten years ago, the Paris Climate Agreement was signed. World leaders pledged […]
October 31, 2025
“The United Nations’ Green Climate Fund (GCF) has had a record year in terms of approving projects in countries vulnerable to climate change, thanks in part to reforms that have reduced bureaucratic hurdles,” said its Executive Director, Mafalda Duarte, in an interview with AFP. GCF, founded in 2015 and based in Songdo (South Korea), is the […]
October 30, 2025
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn continues to rack up fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ). In the first six months of this year, it has already paid almost 150,000 euros in fines, more than double the total spent in 2024. De Lijn will also have to pay LEZ fines next year. After […]
October 30, 2025
According to the American billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, global warming “is not going to lead to the disappearance of humanity”. While climate change will have “serious consequences, particularly for people in the poorest countries, […] people will be able to live and prosper on most of the planet in the near future,” writes Bill […]
October 29, 2025
The lack of action on climate change claims millions of lives every year and puts health care systems under strain. “The climate crisis has become a health crisis,” states the latest Lancet Countdown report, published today in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Lancet researchers have found that 12 of 20 key indicators tracking […]
October 28, 2025
The German car lobby is pushing an unusual idea to boost sales of plug-in hybrids as the EU seeks to measure their real-life emissions more accurately. The proposal? A legal obligation for plug-in hybrid drivers to charge their cars regularly. The punishment for not abiding by that obligation is reduced power. A creative solution, but […]
October 23, 2025
Despite the high cost, Belgian urban families are increasingly opting for cargo bikes. According to figures from the mobility federation Traxio, sales in Belgium have skyrocketed over the past two years, rising by more than 66%, from 9,585 units in 2022 to 15,246 in 2024. The success of the cargo or longtail bike for the […]
October 23, 2025
Michael Jost, former head of VW Group’s product strategy, recently addressed the car industry, policymakers, and the general public at the E4Testival in Germany. His message was clear: “There is no alternative for electromobility and the so-called technology openness is an illusion.” His discourse was titled “Electrify the world – think bigger.” He asked his […]
October 22, 2025
The European Commission will propose measures to mitigate the impact of its new carbon tax on citizens and businesses. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to alleviate fears of price increases and provide Member States with resources to support families by adjusting the implementation of the CO2 tax. The aim is to save the […]
