Environment: Renolution premiums frozen and climate targets delayed

A sector at the heart of Brussels' challenges

Environment and climate are central challenges for the Brussels-Capital Region. With high urban density, an ageing building stock and European climate targets to meet, Brussels faces major environmental challenges: energy renovation of buildings, air quality, water management and biodiversity conservation.

Regional environmental policy relies on several key mechanisms: Renolution premiums, the Blue Deal for water management, the air quality action plan and the Nature Plan for biodiversity. These programmes are primarily led by Brussels Environment and its partners.

Since 9 June 2024, the caretaker regional government can no longer take new structural decisions in these areas.

Renolution premiums: energy renovation stalls

The mechanism

The Renolution programme is the Region's primary lever for encouraging the energy renovation of buildings. It offers premiums for roof and facade insulation, replacement of oil boilers, installation of solar panels and heat pumps. This programme is essential for meeting regional climate targets.

What is blocked

Under a caretaker government, the Renolution programme can no longer accept new applications. Files submitted before June 2024 continue to be processed, but:

• No new premium applications are accepted
• No adjustment of premium amounts for construction cost inflation
• No expansion of the programme to new types of work
• No simplification of administrative procedures promised by the Region

With approximately 75% of Brussels buildings rated EPC D or lower, the need for energy renovation remains massive.

Source: Brussels Environment, Renolution review 2024; EPC certificates, regional statistics, 2025.

Blue Deal: water management suspended

The stakes

Brussels faces a dual water challenge: increasingly frequent flooding episodes during heavy rainfall, and the need for sustainable water resource management in the context of climate change. The Blue Deal, an interregional water management plan, provided for investments in stormwater infrastructure, surface de-sealing and protection of flood-prone areas.

What is frozen

• No new projects for surface de-sealing or storm basins
• No funding for new stormwater management infrastructure
• No update to the mapping of flood risk zones
• No new partnerships with municipalities for local water management

Source: Brussels Environment, water management plan 2022-2027; Vivaqua, annual report 2024.

Air quality: measures on hold

The context

Air quality in Brussels remains a major public health issue. The low-emission zone (LEZ), established in 2018, progressively restricts access for the most polluting vehicles. The regional air quality action plan provided for a gradual tightening of standards and complementary measures.

What is suspended

• The tightening schedule for the low-emission zone cannot be accelerated or modified
• New measures to reduce air pollution cannot be adopted
• The enhanced monitoring plan planned for 2025-2026 cannot be launched
• Subsidies to individuals for replacing polluting vehicles are frozen

Source: Brussels Environment, air quality report 2024; regional Air-Climate-Energy plan.

Biodiversity: the green network on pause

The Nature Plan of the Brussels Region aimed to strengthen urban biodiversity and develop the green network (ecological corridors, neighbourhood green spaces, green roofs). Under a caretaker government:

• New projects for creating green spaces are suspended
• Neighbourhood contracts incorporating a biodiversity component cannot be launched
• The management plan for Brussels' Natura 2000 areas cannot be updated
• Subsidies for citizen greening projects are frozen

Source: Brussels Environment, Nature Plan 2016-2020 (extended); biodiversity report 2024.

What continues to function

Environmental permits

Environmental permits already issued remain valid. Renewal applications and routine administrative procedures continue to be processed by Brussels Environment.

Environmental monitoring

Brussels Environment continues its monitoring missions: air quality measurement stations, watercourse monitoring, management of regional green spaces and forests (Sonian Forest, regional parks).

Low-emission zone

The LEZ continues to operate according to the schedule established before June 2024. Controls and sanctions remain in force.

Impact on the ground

The freeze on environmental mechanisms has direct and measurable consequences:

• Delayed climate targets: the CO2 reduction commitments for 2030 are becoming difficult to achieve
• Slowed energy renovation: property owners can no longer access Renolution premiums for new projects
• Flood risks: without new investments in water management, Brussels' vulnerability to heavy rainfall increases
• Public health: the delay in strengthening air quality measures directly affects residents' health

Outlook

Environmental policy is a domain where lost time is difficult to make up. Each year without an active energy renovation programme increases the Region's climate debt. The European Green Deal targets are not suspended by Brussels' political crisis.

The next regional government will need not only to relaunch the frozen programmes, but also to compensate for the accumulated delay to meet Belgium's climate commitments.

Main sources: Brussels Environment, annual reports 2024; Renolution.brussels; Air-Climate-Energy plan; Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, analyses 2025.