The N-VA delegation is inspired by climate and energy policy in the United Kingdom

The International Energy Agency has labelled the United Kingdom a “world leader in decarbonisation”. Since 1990, the country has reduced its energy generation and C02 emissions by about 44%. “The British are investing heavily in nuclear power, hydrogen and carbon capture. That is why we are going to the United Kingdom to gain inspiration for our own policy, without taboos,” says MP Anneleen Van Bossuyt. Together with MP Bert Wollants, Flemish MP Andries Gryffroy and Brussels MP Cieltje Van Achter, she is visiting a few companies and research centres specialising in this field. 

For example, while in the United Kingdom, the N-VA delegation is visiting the Rolls-Royce company, which will build SMR (Small Modular Reactors) power plants in the United Kingdom. They are also meeting with a few Flemish entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom to discuss electric bus traffic, the collection of solar energy in space by solar energy satellites and the interconnection between Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Net Zero by 2050

“We are, of course, also meeting with the British administration to find out how they will shape their future energy and climate policy,” adds Van Bossuyt. Like the EU, the United Kingdom is aiming for Net Zero by 2050; for example, in June 2019, the country was the first of the G7 to introduce legislation to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

This is not the first time the party has looked beyond national borders for inspiration. A delegation previously visited Denmark on the issue of asylum and migration.