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🌍 Today is International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This stratospheric ozone protects life on Earth 🌱, while tropospheric ozone is harmful to health, biodiversity and climate. 💪Together, we can do something about it! climat.be/actualites/2024/l-…

📣 Join the Scientific Council on Climate! We are looking for candidates to form the new Scientific Council on Climate responsible for advising the government on federal climate policy and funding. Apply before 17/9 👇 linkedin.com/jobs/view/40041…

🇪🇺 🇧🇪 The Belgian Presidency of the EU has made significant progress on climate action during the first half of 2024: adaptation, resilience, green transport, carbon certification and just transition. Discover the full review 👇 #EU2024BE climat.be/actualites/2024/bi…

Are you a (scientific) expert on climate (or a related field), and would you like to help shape climate policy? Then join the new 'Scientific Council on Climate'. We will launch a call on 19 August. Stay tuned!

🇪🇺🇧🇪🇺🇳🇭🇺 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #14 Final As Hungary 🇭🇺 takes over the Presidency of the @EUCouncil, we extend our best wishes for a successful and impactful semester, moving us closer to a climate-neutral and climate-resilient Europe that leaves no one behind, an EU that remains a leader in climate action worldwide, with a Paris Aligned NDC, an EU that continues to be a constructive partner in the lead-up to @COP29_AZ in Baku in November. Read more: hungarian-presidency.consili… Best of luck to our Hungarian colleagues Veronika Skolasztika Bagi, @schaffitibi and Barbara Botos, and a final shoutout to our fantastic team: @Peter_Wittoeck, @GeertFremout, Sophie Closson, Samuel Buys, Ouafae Salmi, Camille Reyniers, @IneDeMeyer, Marine Lugen, @SchrauwenStien, @CathWindey, @ChantalRoggeman, @ChielensEvi, @KoenMeeus, @ellahuys, Sam Van Hoof, @Yenthe_P, Julien Berry, Emily Taylor, Justine Soete, Vincent Van Steenberghe, @CamilleLepinay, Jelle Dehaen, @LietaerSamuel, @ElisaEllegaard, @SaraDeSloover, Henri Kevers, @FlorianDRX, @LauraDeSutter2, @FreMaes_, @LNols, @jmoorth, Laurence De Clock, @AlainWilmart, Clara Gruner, Pieter Baeten and Rossana Gresia. @HU24EU @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @UNFCCC #EU2024BE #HU24EU

🇪🇺🇧🇪🇺🇳 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #13 UNFCCC Throughout the 6 months of Belgium's Presidency, the Federal Climate Change Department coordinated EU participation in international climate diplomacy. Starting in Ghent in January with the traditional informal workshop, our team led the EU Working Party on International Environmental Issues - Climate Change (WPIE-CC) in preparing for and during the June UN Climate meetings (SB60) under the @UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, preparing for @COP29_AZ in Baku. Key topics we worked on include the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG), how to take forward the Global Stocktake (GST), and preparations for the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Read more: · June UN Climate meetings (SB60): unfccc.int/sb60 · COP29: cop29.az/en · New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG): unfccc.int/NCQG · Global Stocktake (GST): unfccc.int/topics/global-sto… · Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): unfccc.int/process-and-meeti… Big thanks to our international team: @Peter_Wittoeck, @GeertFremout, Sophie Closson, Samuel Buys, Ouafae Salmi, Camille Reyniers, @IneDeMeyer, Marine Lugen, @SchrauwenStien, @CathWindey, @ChantalRoggeman and @ChielensEvi, and to the colleagues from @BelgiumDGE and the regional administrations who helped us in this effort. Special thanks also to the Members of the BELT Dries De Bock, Céline Gillis and David Nguyen for the impeccable logistics throughout the presidency! @UNFCCC @COP29_AZ @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #UNFCCC #ParisAgreement #ClimateAction #NDC #NCQG #SB60 #COP29 #JuneClimateMeetings

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #12 Green Claims In the lead-up to the June meeting of the @EUCouncil our team contributed to finding consensus on the Council’s position for the negotiations with the @Europarl_EN on the Green Claims Directive. The directive aims at combatting greenwashing, ensuring that consumers receive reliable, comparable, and verifiable information on environmental claims, empowering them to make well-informed, sustainable choices. It crucially also introduces new requirements to prove climate-related claims, including those involving carbon credits, requiring companies to inter alia provide information about the type and quantity of credits and whether they are permanent or temporary, and to set a net-zero target and prove compliance with a decarbonisation pathway to meet the target. Read more: consilium.europa.eu/en/press… Special thanks to our team members @LauraDeSutter2 , Camille Reyniers and Sophie Closson, and to our 🇧🇪 climate attachées Sarah Kuen and @Joanna_de_smedt at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union @EUCouncil @Europarl_EN @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #GreenClaims #ConsumerRights #SustainableChoices #Carboncredits #Greenwashing

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #11 Ozone layer and F-gases The twelfth meeting of the ozone research managers in Geneva in April confirmed that evidence for ozone recovery has strengthened, especially in the upper stratosphere and over Antarctica. At the end of May the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol met for the 94th time, in Montreal. The ExCom dealt with financial matters, evaluation of the functioning of the Fund, programme implementation, business planning, all of which are regular aspects of these meetings. It also analyzed the project proposals, with a special focus on those that will start the implementation of the Kigali Amendment (reduction of production and use of HFCs). These results are encouraging, although new issues are being identified that fall outside the scope of the Montreal Protocol. Earlier in the year, but mainly a legacy of the Swedish 🇸🇪 and Spanish 🇪🇸 Presidencies, the recasts of the EU Regulations on ozone depleting substances and fluorinated greenhouse gases were adopted by the Council with an overwhelming majority. Read more: consilium.europa.eu/en/press… (NL): klimaat.be/news/2024/ozon-in… (FR): climat.be/actualites/2024/oz… Looking forward to celebrating World Ozone Day with our Hungarian 🇭🇺 colleagues after the Summer break. Special thanks to @AlainWilmart, Clara Gruner and Evi Chielens @UNEPozone @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #MontrealProtocol #OzoneLayer #UNEPozone #KigaliAmendment

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #10 Resilience Adaptation and resilience were a key priority for the Belgian Presidency. Building on the @EUEnvironment’s European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) and the @EU_Commission Communication ‘Managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity', the Belgian Presidency aimed at laying the foundations for a resilient and sustainable future for the EU. Discussions were held at ministerial level during the Council meetings in January, March and June, resulting in the adoption of Council conclusions calling for inter alia: ·      a systemic policy response in all relevant policy fields ·      regular EU-wide climate risk assessments ·      monitoring progress towards risk preparedness ·      narrowing the climate protection gap ·      an initiative on water resilience At a technical level, the EUCRA and the Communication were presented to and discussed with colleagues in many policy domains, throughout the semester, effectively ‘farming out’ the conversation to risk owners across the broader policy field. Read more: eea.europa.eu/publications/e… (NL): klimaat.be/news/2024/alarmer… (FR): climat.be/actualites/2024/ra… Special thanks to our team members Jelle Dehaen and @LietaerSamuel, and to our 🇧🇪 climate attachées Sarah Kuen and @Joanna_de_smedt at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union @EUEnvironment @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #ClimateResilience #EUCRA #ClimateAdaptation #ProtectionGap #EmergingRisks #DisasterRiskReduction

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #9 Just Transition Just transition was one of the priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the EU and will be a key enabler for future EU climate policy. Looking ahead is important, but implementing the existing framework is just as much so. Our team, with technical support of the @EU_Commission, started working on the elaboration of Belgium’s Social Climate Plan to address the social impacts of climate policies and to ensure a just and inclusive transition to a greener economy for all citizens. This foundational work should set the stage for more equitable climate action in the coming years. Read more: climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-acti… europarl.europa.eu/legislati… Special thanks to @ellahuys, @Yenthe_P, @LNols and @jmoorth @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #SocialClimatePlan #JustTransition #InclusiveGrowth

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #8 Fossil Fuel Subsidies The 17th June Council conclusions recalled that the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transition without delay, is an important enabling condition for climate action. At @UNFCCC @COP28_UAE as part of the UAE Consensus, the international community had also called for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies. In May we published, together with our colleagues from the @FODFinancien / @SPFFinances, the third edition of the federal inventory of fossil fuel subsidies. Read more: (NL): klimaat.be/news/2024/3de-fed… (FR): climat.be/actualites/2024/3e… Special thanks to Justine Soete and Vincent Van Steenberghe @UNFCCC @COP28_UAE @COP29_AZ @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #ClimateAction #FossilFuelSubsidies

🇪🇺🇧🇪@BelgiuminEU – A Climate Perspective #7 NECP Robust NECPs are essential for achieving the EU target of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 and the 2050 goal of climate neutrality. While many of us were entirely committed to the Presidency over the past semester, our ‘home team’ ensured progress was made on the national level in preparing for the Belgian 🇧🇪 National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for 2021-2030, in close cooperation with our good colleagues from the Directorate-General for Energy at the @FODEconomie. The federal government took note of its contribution to the final updated NECP on 17th May. Read more: (NL): klimaat.be/klimaatbeleid/bel…… (FR): climat.be/politique-climatiq…… Special thanks to @FreMaes_ and @LauraDeSutter2 @EU_Commission @BelgiuminEU #EU2024BE #ClimateAction #NECP #EU2030 #Fitfor55

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @EU2024BE – A Climate Perspective #6 Implementation Advancing towards EU climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and the expected 2040 target, requires urgent action for the implementation of obligations on the 2030 time horizon. Our ‘home team’ worked hard to implement key pieces of EU legislation under the Energy Union and Climate Action framework and the Fit for 55 package, including: · CBAM · ETS Maritime · REDII-REDIII · Fossil Fuel Subsidies · Preparing the phase-out of ICE cars · Preparing a Sustainable Finance Strategy · Developing a barometer for the transition to climate neutrality · … Read more: consilium.europa.eu/en/polic… (NL): klimaat.be/klimaatbeleid/eur… (FR): climat.be/politique-climatiq… Special thanks to Justine Soete, Vincent Van Steenberghe, @Yenthe_P, Julien Berry, Emily Taylor, @jmoorth, Pieter Baeten, Rossana Gresia, Henri Kevers, @FreMaes_, @FlorianDRX, @SaraDeSloover, Laurence De Clock and @CamilleLepinay @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @EU2024BE #EU2024BE #Fitfor55 #ClimateLegislation #EU2030 #EU2040

🇪🇺🇧🇪 @EU2024BE – A Climate Perspective #5 2040 target One of the key achievements of the Belgian Presidency was advancing the debate on the 2040 climate target for the EU, ensuring that the EU continues to lead on global climate ambition. The 2040 target figured on the agenda from the start, with the informal Council in January, followed by the formal Councils in March and June. On June 17th, the Council adopted conclusions, encouraging future Council Presidencies to pursue the discussions on an ongoing basis in order to ensure the submission of the EU’s next NDC well ahead of UNFCCC COP30 (Belém, November 2025) and recognizing that the transition will require the necessary enabling conditions, including an inclusive just transition, a competitive industry and agricultural sector and an international level playing field. The 2040 target was also discussed at a technical level, touching on numerous other policy areas, such as energy, transport, and agriculture. Additionally, we organised a High Level Event in March to allow for in-depth discussions between ministers. In parallel, we facilitated discussions at expert level by organising four technical workshops with hundreds of participants from EU Member States, the @EU_Commission, think tanks and universities. Read more: climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-acti… Special thanks to our team members @KoenMeeus, @ellahuys and Sam Van Hoof, and to our 🇧🇪 climate attachées Sarah Kuen and @Joanna_de_smedt at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @EU2024BE #EU2024BE #EU2040 #2040Target #NDC

🇪🇺🇧🇪@EU2024BE – A Climate Perspective #4 Green & Just Transition To prepare the EU’s future environmental and climate policy, the Belgian Presidency facilitated the adoption on June 17th of Conclusions of the Environment @EUCouncil, reflecting inter alia the Presidency priorities of adaptation and resilience, just transition and the circular economy, but also many other elements of the 8th Environment Action Programme and steps towards a decision on an intermediate 2040 target well ahead of UNFCCC COP30. Additionally, our team closely monitored and contributed to legislative work and council conclusions in various other Council formations, reinforcing our commitment to comprehensive climate action across all sectors, in the spirit of a whole-of-government approach. Read the Council conclusions: data.consilium.europa.eu/doc… Watch the public session of the Environment Council: video.consilium.europa.eu/ev… Special thanks to our team members @ellahuys, Sam Van Hoof, Jelle Dehaen, @LietaerSamuel, @LauraDeSutter2, Emily Taylor, @SaraDeSloover, @LNols, Justine Soete, @CamilleLepinay, @Yenthe_P and Julien Berry, and to our 🇧🇪 climate attachées Sarah Kuen and @Joanna_de_smedt at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union @EUCouncil @EU2024BE #8EAP #JustTransition #CircularEconomy #EU2040 #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateResilience #2040Targets

🇧🇪 @EU2024BE – A Climate Perspective #3 Governance While many of us were entirely committed to the Presidency over the past semester, Belgium’s federal government 🇧🇪, supported by our home team, translated EU Climate Governance requirements into federal legislation, bolstering climate governance, monitoring the implementation of federal policies and measures and their finance, establishing an independent advisory Scientific Council on Climate. This new governance framework, which is currently being rolled out, will ensure that ETS revenues are used transparently and efficiently for climate purposes, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable and accountable climate action. In parallel we have started work with the @EU_Commission for improving methods for assessing and monitoring policies and measures, including their harmonisation in the context of Belgium’s multilevel governance structure. Read more: (NL) klimaat.be/news/2023/federaa… (FR) climat.be/actualites/2023/le… Special thanks to @ElisaEllegaard, @SaraDeSloover, Henri Kevers, @FlorianDRX, @LauraDeSutter2 en @FreMaes_ @EU_Commission @EU2024BE #EU2024BE #ClimateTransparency #Governance #Sustainability #NECP

🇧🇪 🇪🇺 By February, we managed to broker an agreement between the @EUCouncil and the @Europarl_EN on a first ever EU Carbon Removals Certification Framework, ensuring quantification, additionality, long-term storage and sustainability of permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products. The regulation will drive our efforts towards climate neutrality by 2050, facilitating the deployment of high-quality carbon removal activities across the EU and ensuring robust monitoring and sustainable practices. Read more: consilium.europa.eu/en/press… Special thanks to our team members Camille Reyniers and Sophie Closson, and to our 🇧🇪 climate attachées Sarah Kuen and @Joanna_de_smedt at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union @EUCouncil @Europarl_EN @EUCommission @EU2024BE #EU2024BE #CarbonRemoval #Sustainability #ClimateNeutrality