🇧🇪 This week’s carbon management EU country spotlight: Belgium 🇧🇪

Belgium takes a uniquely different direction than other EU countries with its carbon removal (#CDR) framework – the country divides its policy by region. The three regions of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels vary in their carbon management plan, as there is no formal federal climate law aside from the national long-term strategy with a 95% emissions reduction goal by 2050.

Here’s a quick summary of the current state of CDR policy in Belgium and what to expect from the country:

How does Belgium view CDR?

🔥 Belgium’s national long-term strategy (#LTS) states that the country can achieve ~95% of emission reductions by 2050 and reach #climateneutrality through carbon absorption by natural sinks and CDR.

💡 Under the national LTS, around 5% of emissions will be compensated by CDR (equivalent to around 4 to 5 million tons of CO2).

🗺 Different regions within Belgium have set their own specific framework – Flanders is developing a carbon market to support negative emissions, which could include biochar carbon removal (#BCR) and enhanced rock weathering (#ERW).

🔍 There is currently no mention of CDR or CCS for the Brussels Region, which may remain the case given its very small geographical size.

Which CDR technologies hold the most potential in Belgium?

✅ The national LTS focuses on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (#BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage (#DACCS) as necessary to achieve negative emissions.

🌿 Natural sinks of the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (#LULUCF) sector also play a role in the national LTS.

🌳 Within Flanders, it seems the LULUCF sector is prioritised, including protecting and expanding wetlands, creating forests, and promoting silicate-based soil alteration and carbon enrichment (e.g., #ERW). Within Wallonia, #BECCS seems to be the focus.

This week, I turned our spotlight on Belgium – a country taking a differentiated policy approach across regions. Belgium will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU from January-June 2024 - a key period as it coincides with the European elections and, hopefully, the passing of the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (#CRCF) - so I will be interested to see whether its approach to CDR may or may not be reflected across the #EU.

❓What are your thoughts on Belgium’s regional approach to CDR policy? Are there any Belgium-based CDR companies you’d like to put on our radar?