HOME > WHAT WE DO > CLIMATE
Climate
Humanity is increasingly confronted with the consequences of climate change through flooding, excess mortality due to heatwaves, water shortages, … Our nature is drying up, 41 people drowned in the floods of the Vesder, and every heatwave leads to additional fatalities. We are contributing to the profound transition that our economic system must undergo. Our actions aim to contribute to achieving climate neutrality and to adapt ourselves and our nature to the consequences of climate change.
Our legal actions
01. Appeal against new gas infrastructure
We oppose the construction of new energy infrastructure that undermines the transition to a climate-neutral society.
Greenpeace
Belgium, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Dryadex have lodged an appeal with the
Council of State against the Regional Spatial Implementation Plan
"Glabbeek-Halen Pipeline Route", approved by the Flemish government
in the summer of 2024. This plan
provides for the construction of a pipeline corridor for the expansion of gas
infrastructure in Limburg. However, no study has been conducted to determine
whether this expansion is really necessary or whether, on the contrary, it
hinders the climate transition.
02. Appeal against the European decision to classify fossil fuel-powered aircraft and ships as 'green'
In collaboration with four European NGOs, we are challenging the European Union's decision to classify air and maritime transport activities using fossil fuels as 'green'.
The
inclusion of these activities in the European Taxonomy, with such criteria,
dilutes the value of this classification system, which aims to guide investors
towards truly sustainable investments.
Worse
still, the EU is endorsing illusory solutions that compromise the transition to
a green, low-carbon economy.
03. Appeal against the environmental permit for Zaventem Airport
Together
with twelve other environmental organisations and local residents' groups, we
have challenged the permit granted to Brussels Airport Company before the
Flemish Council for Permit Disputes.
This permit
allows the airport to continue growing, to the detriment of the health of
hundreds of thousands of local residents, the environment and the climate.
The
conditions of the permit are largely insufficient to limit the airport's
climate impact.
The permit
does not restrict the growth of air traffic and freight in any way, which will
inevitably increase its carbon footprint.
The
environmental impact assessment and the permit do not take sufficient account
of this impact, in violation of national and international environmental
legislation.
It also
undermines the climate efforts made by other sectors.
For all these reasons, we requested that this permit be revoked. In the meantime, the permit has been revoked for procedural reasons invoked by another party. Brussels Airport Company can continue to operate for a few more years in order to prepare a new permit application based on the balanced approach. We continue to monitor this case closely.