 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Belgium has the 7th largestCO2 emission per capita in the EU.[1] The CO2 emissions have dropped 19.0% since in comparison with 1990 levels.[2] The average temperature has risen 1.9 degrees Celsius since measurements began in 1890, with an acceleration since 1954.[3]
Climate change in Belgium has caused temperatures rises and more frequent and intenseheatwaves, increases in winter rainfall and decreases in snowfall.[4] By 2100, sea levels along the Belgian coast are projected to rise by 60 to 90 cm with a maximum potential increase of up to 200 cm in the worst-case scenario.[5] The costs of climate change are estimated to amount to €9.5 billion a year in 2050 (2% of Belgian GDP), mainly due to extreme heat,drought andflooding, while economics gains due to milder winters amount to approximately €3 billion a year (0.65% of GDP).[5] The country has committed tonet zero by 2050.[6]
.png)
In 2023, Belgium emitted 106.82 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (around 0.2% of the global total emissions), equivalent to 9.12 tonnes per person.[7][8]
In 2021, the country'sgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 146.9 million tons ofCO2 equivalent (Mt CO2 eq), whose 88 Mt came from theFlemish Region, 54.8 Mt from theWalloon Region and 4 Mt from the Brussels-capital Region.[9]
Being a member of theEuropean Union,Belgium, applied theEuropean Union Emission Trading Scheme set up by theDirective 2003/87/EC. TheKyoto protocol sets a 7.5% reduction ofgreenhouse gas emission target compared to 1990. Belgium set up aNational Allocation Plan at the federal level with target for each of the three regions.
On 14 November 2002, Belgium signed theCooperation Agreement for the implementation of a National Climate Plan and reporting in the context of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto protocol. The firstNational Allocation Plan was for the period from 2005 to 2007. TheEuropean Commission approved it on 20 October 2004. The second allocation plan was for the period 2008-2012 and aims a reduction of 7.5% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990.
TheParis agreement is a legally binding international agreement, its main goal is to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.[13] TheNationally Determined Contributions (NDC's) are the plans to fight climate change adapted for each country.[14] Every party in the agreement has different targets based on its own historical climate records and country's circumstances and all the targets for each country are stated in their NDC.[15]
In the case of member countries of the European Union the goals are very similar and the European Union work with a common strategy within the Paris Agreement.[16]
The target of the Flemish Region is a reduction of 5.2% of GHG in the period 2008-2012 compared to 1990. That means average emissions of 83.4 million tons CO2 equivalent in the 2008-2012 period. The 2008–2012, Flemish allocation plan deals with installation consuming more than 0.5PJ (139GWh) annually.[9] 17% of GHG emissions comes fromtransportation and 21 from electricity production and heat production (excluded heat for buildings).[9] There are 178 installations listed.
The largest emitters are, with their emissions in tons of CO2 equivalent (t CO2 eq) per year:[9]
Being a federal state, Brussels-Capital Region also made a second allocation plan for 2008–2012 based on the decree of June 3, 2004 that implements theEuropean directive 2003/87/CE. In that plan, Brussels objective is to have an increase of maximum 3.475% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990.
In 2004, the Brussels-Capital Region emitted 4.4 million tons CO2 equivalent, an increase of 9% compared to 1990 when emissions were 4.083 Mt CO2 eq. The emissions come from domestic use (45%), tertiary sector (25%) and transportation (19%), and energy/industry (2%).[9] The 4.4 Mt CO2 eq do not take into account GHG emission due to electricity production outside the region.
The 2008–2012 allocation plans include only eight facilities:
In the second allocation plan (for the period 2008–2012), the Walloon Region is planning a reduction of 7.5% of GHG emissions compared to 1990 when 54.84 million tons CO2 equivalent was emitted.[9]
The plan for 2008-2012 includes 172 premises. In 2005, the largest emitters were (number in tons CO2 equivalent per year):[9]
Other large emitters are cast iron and steel producers inCharleroi andLiège.
On October 22, 2009,BASF announced that they will close the plant located atFeluy at the end of 2009.[17] That plant had a yearly allocation of 36,688 tons of CO2 equivalent.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Medium-range estimates of Arctic carbon emissions could result from moderate climate emission mitigation policies that keep global warming below 3°C (e.g., RCP4.5). This global warming level most closely matches country emissions reduction pledges made for the Paris Climate Agreement...
"The IPCC doesn't make projections about which of these scenarios is more likely, but other researchers and modellers can.The Australian Academy of Science, for instance, released a report last year stating that our current emissions trajectory had us headed for a 3°C warmer world, roughly in line with the middle scenario.Climate Action Tracker predicts 2.5 to 2.9°C of warming based on current policies and action, with pledges and government agreements taking this to 2.1°C.
Climate change by country | |
|---|---|
| Africa | |
| Americas | |
| Asia | |
| Europe | |
| Oceania | |
| Polar regions | |
| Other regions | |
