2023-11-04 06:21:00
The PNEC is a sort of road map which explains how Belgium will be able to achieve the climate objectives imposed by Europe as part of the Fit for 55 commitments. This commitment consists of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 47%. greenhouse (GHG) compared to 2005.
If Belgium was unable to submit its plan to Europe this Friday, November 3, it is because “Flanders refuses to make an effort to reduce GHGs that goes beyond – 40%”, he said. exasperates Alain Maron (Ecolo), Brussels Minister of Climate and president of the National Climate Commission. According to him, Brussels and Wallonia both have regional plans that will allow them to achieve this reduction in GHGs.
”The current lack of ambition of the Flemish government is harmful both for household wallets and for the climate. All Belgian citizens, including Flemings, will pay the bill linked to this blockage doubly,” deplores the Climate Coalition, which brings together more than a hundred Belgian organizations committed to combating climate change.
On the Flanders side, we reply that these objectives are not achievable. “We have been reporting the same story in Flanders for three years. 2030 is the day following tomorrow, by then we will not be able to achieve the -47% target,” Energy Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) said on Thursday morning.
Flanders brings other elements to the negotiation. She wishes to negotiate the future ETS which will focus on mobility and transport. This EU emissions trading system is, in short, a purchase of a right to pollute.
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”Flanders might agree on an accountability mechanism. The entity responsible for not having reached its CO2 reduction quota might bear the financial consequences. It would be logical for Flanders to do so, but, until now, it has been impossible to determine to what extent it is ready to do so,” continues Alain Maron.
The minister referred the discussion to Codeco (consultation committee) in order to “make the different entities responsible”. Instead of only taking place between Climate Ministers, the discussion will be extended to the Prime Minister and the Minister-Presidents. This Codeco will take place on November 22. The objective is to land on a coherent agreement between the 4 parties before the end of the year in order to be able to have feedback from the European Commission at the beginning of January and to finally send a final PNEC to Europe at the end of June 2024.
If Belgium fails to implement enough climate measures to achieve its objectives, it will be able to compensate for its delay thanks to the ETS system, or by purchasing emission quotas. Considering the cost that a tonne of C02 will have in 2030, the bill might exceed a billion euros.
“This new failed climate meeting will cost Belgium up to 1 billion euros,” regrets Jean-Luc Crucke, Walloon Les Engagés deputy, accusing the three Ecolo Climate ministers (Brussels, Wallonia and federal) of being responsible for the failure.
Alain Maron recognizes that the blockage is essentially political. But he attributes responsibility for the blockage to the N-VA. “The other Member States have accepted the same objectives in the same orders of magnitude. In most of these countries, there were no Greens in power. Here, it is Flanders and, more particularly, the N-VA which stands out. For what ? Because she is in a conservative populist stance that sometimes borders on climate skepticism. The N-VA does not want intra-Belgian agreements because it is once morest the logic of federation. She does not want to make the Belgian federal state work. And the N-VA is increasingly eurosceptic. She joined a group of very Eurosceptic parties which are increasingly opposed to the methods of regulating European solidarity.”
The environmental minister recalls that Belgium’s climate objectives were endorsed by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. He hopes that as a member of the Open VLD, the Flemish liberal party also a member of the Flemish government, he will be able to make the other regional partners listen to reason. “We have already done a lot, a lot of work. At some point, a final political unblocking is needed to get there. This one must come from Flanders.”
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