Flemish climate summit: “Climate is a challenge, but also an opportunity”

The Flemish Government is organising a Flemish climate summit for the first time, under the chairmanship of Minister-President Geert Bourgeois. During the summit launch - the first of a three-part series - the state of affairs for Flemish climate policy will be explained. It is there that the Flemish Government will also announce its specific climate commitments. During a second summit in the autumn, other segments of Belgian society will get the chance to express their commitment: industry, agriculture, civil society, and the distribution and logistics sectors. In 2018 the summit will be rounded off with an evaluation of previous years, which must yield a new climate plan for the period of 2021-2030. “The climate summit should be a positive narrative, one of chances and opportunities, both for our economy and our environment,” Belgium’s Minister-President states ambitiously.

However, the challenges are significant: the share of renewable energy must amount to more than 10 percent in Flanders by 2020. Today it’s only a meagre five percent. The same deadline has been set for the emission of greenhouse gases, which must decrease by 15 percent. “We are nicely on track,” Geert Bourgeois comments, “but after 2020 it will only be tougher to achieve the European climate goals, which is something everyone should keep in mind.”

More effort

The Flemish government itself will already set a positive example that in fact raises the bar, among others for its own offices and its fleet. “But it’s not only the government who is responsible for the climate,” Geert Bourgeois emphasises. That’s why this climate summit must also direct and mobilise people’s awareness. “Everyone must make a contribution, the government, business and citizens. For example, making houses more energy efficient doesn’t just help the climate, but also saves money.”

Subsidies alone no longer suffice. We must also consider new measures, for example when it comes to houses, mobility and spatial planning. “We have already made significant efforts, such as making the road tax greener and introducing kilometre-based charges for lorries,” Geert Bourgeois mentions. “The first results can already be seen: the Flemish buy fewer diesel cars.”