Belgian Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030.

Given Belgium’s federal structure, which implies that decision-making power is shared between Federal Government and three Regions - Wallonia, Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region -, several structures have been created to promote consultation and cooperation between the different levels of power and to ensure the consistency of the actions of the Federal State and its entities in areas such as rational use of energy, promotion of renewable energy sources, public transport, transport infrastructure, urban and rural planning, agriculture and waste management.
The three Regions and the Federal Government collaborate closely and continually on energy and climate policy. The work is coordinated within various forums, including: - the energy policy coordination platform known as CONCERE/ENOVER; - the Coordination Committee for International Environmental Policy (Comité de coordination des politiques internationales de l’environnement/Coördinatiecomité Internationaal Milieubeleid); - the National Climate Commission (Commission nationale du climat/Nationale Klimaatcommissie – CNC/NKC). The National Climate Commission, which is responsible for developing and monitoring the national climate plan and for complying with EU and international reporting obligations, is the central coordinating body for national climate policy. It is made up of representatives from the four entities concerned.
Also, in the Interfederal Energy Pact of December 2017, Belgium reaffirmed its commitment to the Paris Agreement by putting particular emphasis on the transition to a low-carbon society in Belgium. It is recognised by the three regional governments and the Federal Government as a significant statement of intent regarding the energy transition. The Energy Pact outlines objectives for Belgium’s energy system by 2050, setting various energy transition targets. It serves as the basis for a coherent medium- and long-term strategy for changing Belgium’s energy system, setting out key measures to accelerate the energy transition. The Pact also gives an insight into the 2030 energy mix. Lastly, it reaffirms energy’s central role in government policy. Energy efficiency and the transition to sustainable energy consumption are seen as horizontal measures, integrated into the various relevant areas of public policy, including tax, health, mobility, employment, training, land use and the circular economy.
Belgium’s energy and climate policy sets the following strategic objectives: -Ensure sustainable, secure and affordable energy; - Put citizens at the heart of the energy system; - Maintain an affordable system for both large and small consumers; - Ensure participation and that initiatives at all levels of government are consistent.
The text analyses the National objectives and targets from different dimensions' perspectives: 1. dimension decarbonisation; 2. dimension energy efficiency; 3. dimension energy security; 4. dimension internal energy market; dimension research, innovation and competitiveness. For each of these dimensions each of the four entities will adopt different implementing measures, fully detailed in the text.
With regard to the reduction of GHG emissions under the dimension of ‘Decarbonisation’, Belgium has a binding emission reduction target of 35% by 2030 for non-emission trading sectors. Belgium further undertakes to comply with at least Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2018/841 and therefore with the non-debit rule. Always under the dimension decarbonisation, an agreement has been reached at European level to set an overall EU target of at least 32% renewable energy by 2030. Belgium’s contribution to this target will consist of the total contributions of the various entities and will be 17.5% by 2030.
Under the dimension energy efficiency, Belgium’s contribution to the indicative European target set out in point (b) of Article 4 will be obtained by combining the contributions of the various entities and will be expressed as primary energy consumption. In 2030, primary energy consumption will be 42.7 Mtoe and final energy consumption will be 35.2 Mtoe. Compared with the PRIMES 2007 baseline this implies an energy saving of 15% for primary energy consumption and of 12% for final energy consumption.
On the energy security dimension, the Federal State alone is responsible for the country’s energy security through the following: i. The elements set out in point (c) of Article 4 (39); ii. National objectives with regard to increasing: the diversification of energy sources and supply from third countries for the purpose of increasing the resilience of regional and national energy systems; iii. Where applicable, national objectives with regard to reducing energy import dependency from third countries, for the purpose of increasing the resilience of regional and national energy systems; iv. National objectives with regard to increasing the flexibility of the national energy system, in particular by means of deploying domestic energy sources, demand response and energy storage.
The dimension internal energy market integrates an increase in the electricity interconnectivity; the setting up of an energy transmission infrastructure, necessary for the achievement of objectives and targets under the five dimensions of the Energy Union Strategy; market integration aimed at increasing the tradeable capacity of existing interconnectors, at reaching national objectives related to the non-discriminatory participation of renewable energy, demand response and storage in all energy markets, national objectives with regard to ensuring that consumers participate in the energy system and benefit from self-generation and new technologies, including smart meter, national objectives with regard to ensuring electricity system adequacy, as well as for the flexibility of the energy system with regard to renewable energy production; national objectives to protect energy consumers and improve the competitiveness of the retail energy sector; energy poverty national objectives.
The dimension research, innovation and competitiveness foresees national objectives and funding targets for public and, where available, private research and innovation relating to the Energy Union, including, where appropriate, a timeframe for when the objectives are to be met; where available, national 2050 objectives related to the promotion of clean energy technologies and, where appropriate, national objectives, including long-term targets (2050) for deployment of low-carbon technologies, including for decarbonising energy and carbon intensive industrial sectors and, where applicable, for related carbon transport and storage infrastructure; Where applicable, national objectives with regard to competitiveness.
A detailed serie of Policies and measures responding to the criterion of cost-effectiveness to be adopted by the Federal Government and the three Regions under each dimension are described by the text. At national level, a series of cross-cutting policies and measures are adopted, which cover a wide range of sectors: environmentally friendly taxation, international shipping and aviation, inclusion of the ‘climate change’ dimension in financial, budgetary and investment decision-making, strengthening support for local climate policy, improving climate governance and optimising the National Climate Commission, strengthening the exemplary role of public authorities in the energy transition. Further policies and measures are adopted at Regional level.