November 05, 2026
Belgium has once again missed the deadline in negotiations with energy giant Engie regarding the potential acquisition of the 7 nuclear power plants located in Belgium. Both parties have agreed to give themselves more time. This is already the second time the deadline has been postponed. The deadline for the negotiations has now been moved […]
November 04, 2026
Brazil says governments must ‘completely change’ the way they deal with climate change. The country, the host of last year’s United Nations climate conference, is ending its year-long presidency of the UN climate process and has set out the world’s first global ‘roadmap’ for phasing out fossil fuels. It shows that countries can boost their […]
November 03, 2026
According to two new reports published on Monday by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), in cooperation with the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica are melting at around six times the rate of the 1990s. Scientists warn that exceeding 1.5°C of global warming will have “irreversible” consequences for glaciers, sea […]
October 29, 2026
Two climate organizations, Project InnerSpace and Future Cleantech Architects (FCA), have assessed geothermal energy’s potential as an energy source in the European Union. The study highlights thirty industrial clusters across twelve European countries, including Belgium. Belgium has both the geological resources and industrial concentration to benefit from geothermal heat, but has developed the technology far […]
October 28, 2026
Heat now claims roughly as many lives worldwide as HIV or malaria, according to the latest Lancet Countdown report, which estimates 710,000 heat-related deaths in 2023. As scientists warn that climate change is becoming a global health emergency, the European Commission has unveiled a new climate resilience framework requiring member states to prepare for increasingly […]
October 27, 2026
The world’s largest battery-electric ferry has begun carrying passengers between Argentina and Uruguay. With a massive 41 MWh battery, equivalent to more than 500 electric cars, the 130-meter catamaran marks a milestone in maritime electrification. But its relatively short 55-km route raises a bigger question: can batteries ever power ships across much longer distances, or […]
October 27, 2026
A new Oxfam analysis estimates that the world’s richest 0.1 percent (8 million people) produce more carbon pollution than the world’s poorest 44% (3.5 billion people) combined. A person in the richest 0.1 percent has contributed nearly 400 times more to today’s extreme heatwaves than someone in the poorest 50%. Oxfam collaborated with researcher Sarah […]
October 23, 2026
The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB), the country’s leading employers’ organization, warns that the January 1, 2027, deadline for the mandatory mobility budget is no longer feasible. Companies still lack the finalized legal framework needed to prepare for and implement the reform. Federal Minister of Labor David Clarinval (MR) is reportedly now open to […]
October 23, 2026
The environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) says that the gap between plug-in hybrids’ official CO₂ figures and their real-world emissions is widening, undermining claims about their climate benefits and leaving consumers duped. On the other hand, T&E notes that a rapid transition to electric company cars could create 344,000 EU jobs by 2030. T&E urges […]
October 23, 2026
The Belgian postal company Bpost is accelerating the electrification of its delivery fleet. By the end of October, Bpost will have 4,165 electric delivery vans on the road, accounting for 42% of its delivery transporter fleet and four times the number it had three years ago. The procurement pace corresponds to an increase of about 1,000 […]
October 21, 2026
Clean energy is expanding far faster than expected, yet the world remains on course for 2.8°C of global warming by the end of the century under current policies. The latest UN Emissions Gap Report highlights a troubling paradox: while solar and wind power are booming, fossil-fuel emissions remain stubbornly high. The United States’ withdrawal from […]
October 20, 2026
Starting in 2030, 35 new electric passenger aircraft are expected to be deployed from Deurne. The aircraft were ordered by ASL Group and Flying Group, respectively, two Antwerp-based companies that both specialize in the management and operation of private jets. Electric aviation offers the financially struggling Deurne Airport opportunities, but whether it will be enough […]
October 19, 2026
BMW’s importer in Belgium and Luxembourg, BMW Group Belux, has obtained the ‘Great Place To Work’ certificate, an award based on employee feedback about their workplace experience. 83% of BMW Group Belux employees rate their employer as an excellent place to work, earning the award. The ‘Great Place To Work’ certificate is much coveted and […]
October 16, 2026
Flanders is pressing ahead with plans to abolish mandatory technical inspections when used cars are sold, despite figures showing that almost one in five vehicles inspected last year had serious defects. A petition backed by 15,752 signatures has failed to secure an immediate reversal, while new documents raise questions about whether the reform’s environmental impact […]
October 14, 2026
The world is installing renewable energy at record speed, but its electricity networks and storage capacity are struggling to keep up. In its new World Energy Transitions Outlook 2026, published on 13 October, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) explains that renewable electricity is expanding faster than the infrastructure and energy systems needed to use […]
October 12, 2026
The Antwerp-based. shipping group CMB.TECH has launched the world’s first dry bulk carrier powered by ammonia. The vessel Mineral Europa has set sail on its maiden voyage to Australia. It is a Newcastlemax, an ore and coal carrier with a deadweight tonnage of approximately 210,000 metric tons. “The Mineral Europa heralds the fifth revolution in […]
October 12, 2026
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 […]
October 08, 2026
Despite the growing popularity of electric cars, greenhouse gas emissions in Flanders have stopped falling for the third consecutive year. The uncomfortable finding comes just days before thousands of climate protesters are expected to return to the streets of Brussels on Sunday, October 11th, demanding stronger action against global warming. According to the Flemish Energy […]
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 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 29, 2026
The Trump administration finalized a significant weakening of federal fuel economy standards for automobiles, rolling back a key policy that had pushed the industry to improve the efficiency of cars and trucks and sell more battery-electric vehicles. Automakers are expected to achieve a fleet average of 34.9 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and light […]
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
The days when an end-of-life car disappeared into a scrapyard are increasingly numbered. Belgian vehicle recycling already recovers 98% of a scrapped car’s weight, but the next challenge is more ambitious: keeping complete parts in use rather than reducing everything to raw materials. West-Flemish dismantler Autohandel Didier, founded in 1993 by Didier Vanwijnsberghe, illustrates how […]
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 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 03, 2026
NMBS/SNCB has found a solution to the legal dispute arising from noise pollution caused by stationary diesel trains at the Lokeren station. The Belgian railway company is erecting a temporary noise barrier made of shipping containers, nearly 250 meters long. The stacked containers, representing an investment of 300,000 euros, will be placed near the former […]
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 24, 2026
On Friday, regional and municipal sanitation services cleared 5.5 metric tons of trash from around Brussels’ North Station, a notorious hotspot for litter, illegal dumping, and street debris. This is equivalent to the amount of trash an average Belgian family would accumulate over about ten to twelve years. The amount of cleared trash immediately highlights […]
August 24, 2026
Scientists at Leiden University have found evidence that plants grow faster due to increased CO2. The flip side is that they become higher in calories but less nutritious. The nutritional value of virtually all crops has declined – plants contain less protein, iron, and other nutrients. The Leiden study pooled thousands of observations across dozens of crops […]
August 24, 2026
The city of Genk (Belgium) will be among the first to establish an energy community in which residents, associations, and companies can buy and sell locally generated renewable electricity. Genk calls the initiative “a Belgian first for a public authority,” but municipalities including Ganshoren and Ixelles have already launched similar initiatives. For the Genk project, the […]
August 20, 2026
Air quality in London has improved significantly since the expansion of the Ultra-Low-Emission Zone – an area within the city where polluting vehicles must pay a fee to enter. The ULEZ was first established under current London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2019, was expanded in 2021 and 2023, and now covers all of Greater London, […]
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 18, 2026
Europe has tightened the rules governing what happens to a car throughout its life. Since 13 August, the new European Vehicle Circularity Regulation has been in force, requiring manufacturers not only to recycle vehicles but also to design them for easier dismantling and reuse, and to feed recovered materials back into new cars. Belgium starts […]
August 17, 2026
The new 48-kilometer hydrogen pipeline that Belgian gas network operator Fluxys is constructing between the industrial clusters of the ports of Antwerp (Kallo) and Ghent (Zelzate) is facing a difficult period. According to the business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo, no binding contracts have yet been signed with any customers. The pipeline network is intended […]
August 13, 2026
Porsche has apparently left Volkswagen Group’s EU CO₂ emissions pool and will instead pool its new-car registrations with Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng in 2026 and 2027. The arrangement could generate regulatory credits for Xpeng as its European sales grow. According to documents from the European Commission, Porsche withdrew from its parent company Volkswagen’s emissions pool […]
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 11, 2026
Students at Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina, US, have unveiled the Deep Orange 17 electric car prototype. The solar-powered research vehicle can generate more energy than it consumes. BMW and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE supported its development. Sixteen students of Clemson University who recently completed their Master of Science in […]
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 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
According to research by the telecom regulator BIPT, Bpost is by far the most eco-friendly parcel delivery service in Belgium. BIPT was commissioned to map out the environmental footprint of parcel delivery in the country. According to the BIPT study, Bpost performs remarkably well compared to other parcel services. The reason? Bpost is investing heavily in […]
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 […]
August 03, 2026
After eight days of blood, sweat, and tears, the Innoptus Solar Team can finally claim victory. They are incredibly proud to have concluded their American adventure by achieving the goal they set out with a year ago: clinching the overall victory. “We knew that a great deal of work would have to be done on the […]
July 31, 2026
On Wednesday, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place in the American Solar Challenge, and one day later, it maintained that position despite a significant change in weather conditions. On Thursday, the Belgian team finished 38 kilometers ahead of their Dutch rivals from Delft. Today, two days before the end of the American Solar Challenge, […]
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 30, 2026
On Wednesday, we reported that the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place on the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge. Today, the team announced that its position in the race remained unchanged, despite a significant change in weather conditions. Calculated risk The grey sky and thick fog – far from ideal for charging […]
July 30, 2026
Mobility federation TRAXIO, which also represents carwashes in Belgium, is calling for responsible water use and for cars to be washed in a ‘water-conscious’ manner. The federation advocates using a professional carwash instead of setting to work with a bucket and garden hose. “Professional car wash systems use up to 95% recycled water that is […]
July 29, 2026
On the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team took first place. What began as a major setback turned into a surprising turnaround. Once the team was on the road, it faced several challenges. The route was full of hills, which really put both the vehicle – Infinite Apollo – […]
July 28, 2026
The French car manufacturer Renault will be judged in court for ‘aggravated deception’ as a result of the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that also has repercussions in France. Renault responded, “that it would defend its innocence, the professionalism, and the ethics of its 100,000 employees.” The Renault brand is the second automaker to be sent to trial […]
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 27, 2026
Spain has finally approved the regulatory framework for its new Auto+ incentive program, which we already commented on, to support electric vehicle purchases through 2030. As mentioned, the scheme replaces MOVES III with centrally managed grants, while excluding vehicles without the country’s ZERO-emissions label. Two pillars The program is divided into two funding pillars. Pillar […]
July 24, 2026
Figures from the European statistical office Eurostat show that renewable energy accounted for more than a quarter (26.2%) of final energy consumption in the European Union in 2025. A year earlier, that figure was 25.2%, and the EU binding target for 2030 is 42.5%, with an ambition to reach 45%. Eurostat calculated that the EU share […]
July 23, 2026
Last week, the Flemish government reached an agreement on a new Air Policy Plan, intended to prepare Flanders for the stricter European air-quality standards that take effect in 2030. The new plan is an update of the text drafted by the previous Flemish government, and will be re-evaluated in 2027. The most important change is […]
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 21, 2026
The share of electrical energy has remained stuck at 23 percent over the past ten years, and that needs to increase. The European Commission aims to double the share of electricity in energy consumption to 46 percent by 2040, thereby reducing the European Union’s dependence on gas and oil imports. “The current heatwaves in Europe […]
