More expensive gas and cheaper electricity: what will the Flemish government's climate plan mean for us?

More than a year late and after lengthy negotiations, Flanders finally has its climate plan.  It is sorely needed to meet the international climate targets.

The European Union requires Belgium to reduce emissions by 47 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels), but the previous Flemish government never wanted to go beyond a 40 per cent reduction. That is currently even out of reach. With current measures, we are heading for a cut of barely 33.7 per cent by 2030.

To close that gap, the new Flemish government has now proposed a package of additional measures. ‘If we want to tackle the climate challenges, we have to work together,’ Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele (Flemish nationalist N-VA) says.

"By working together, we can see how we can maximise ecological gains and achieve those climate ambitions without making things too difficult for too many people. And I think we are doing this in our climate plan."

Energy measures

Tax shift - The Flemish government is implementing a tax shift in which more than 360 million euros in levies will shift from electricity to gas bills from 2028. As electricity is much more expensive than gas in Flanders, the government wants to encourage a switch to electric cars and heat pumps, among other things.

Discount on electricity - In addition to the tax shift, there will be an additional discount on electricity. ‘In Flanders, we are still very dependent on gas,’ says Energy and Climate Minister Depraetere (socialist). "We want to motivate people to switch, but we don't want to punish them if they fail to do so. The price of gas will also continue to rise in coming years, so we have to protect people."

Households using fossil heating use electricity for other things. They will pay more for their gas or heating oil, but their electricity bills will go down. According to Energy and Climate Minister Depraetere, at the end of the day, all things considered, that means they will not have to pay more. Households that heat using electrically get a ‘double discount’.

Construction and renovations

Renovation booster - The Flemish government is putting extra resources into renovation support for social housing. ‘This week we saw the conditions in which a lot of people in social housing have to live when it is very hot,’ says Ms Depraetere. ‘So we have released a budget to provide additional renovation support, but we are also going to provide interest-free loans for certain income and other groups.’

Renovation premium for heat pumps - This will become available to flat dwellers. ‘We want to ensure that these costs and investments are worthwhile too.’

Mobility

Battery check - People buying a used electric car will be able to get more clarity on the quality of the battery. ‘We want to look at how we can introduce a uniform battery check,’ says Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (nationalist). ‘That will give consumers more confidence and they will then be more likely to choose an electric car.

Cycling master plan – The plan is still sketchy.  When finalised it will aim to further increase the share of cycling in commuting.

Truck regulations - Trucks that would like to switch to an electric battery lose cargo space as a result, because they have to adhere to maximum size regulations. The Flemish government wants to change the regulations so that there is extra capacity for batteries, without trucks exceeding the regulations.

Pact with municipalities - Ms De Ridder wants to involve the municipal authorities in climate goals, by entering into a kind of pact. The government will reward municipalities if they make certain choices, like local ‘zero-emission logistics development’.

Agriculture

According to Farm Minister Brouns (Christian democrat), farmers will be able to make a choice from a package of measures that the Flemish government will develop with the agricultural sector.

Genetics - Genetic modification is used to improve crops, by increasing yields, increasing resistance to diseases and pests and improving nutritional value. Our agriculture is already using these options, but further work is needed, says Mr Brouns. He points to ‘feed additives’. By adding nitrate or rapeseed fat, for example, to feed for dairy and beef cattle, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 30 per cent.

Making greenhouse horticulture sustainable - Greenhouse horticulture is a form of agriculture in which plants are grown in glass or plastic greenhouses. ‘That sector is currently still heavily dependent on gas,’ says the Farm Minister. ‘We also need to include a shift here in the transition to further sustainability.’

Industry

Greening scans - The Flemish government wants to make greening scans more accessible to companies, PM Diependaele says. This will make it easier for them to figure out how to become more sustainable and make ecological gains.

Ecological support - ‘We are going to reform that support and make it more accessible,’ says PM Diependaele. "Specifically, we will work with companies to find ways in which you can transform sustainably. The Flemish government will then partly subsidise this process."