Farmers' protest in Brussels. Photo: © Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

Flemish nitrogen breakdown

Nitrogen policy in the Flanders, in Belgium, has now become as explosive as it has been in the Netherlands in recent years. Acid News has previously reported on the Flemish government’s proposal to reduce the region’s high nitrogen emissions (AN2/22). Although almost a year has passed, the plan has not been adopted. Parts of the coalition government have opposed the original proposal, which, among other things, would mean that farms that have the greatest impact on sensitive natural areas would need to close.

Unsurprisingly, this has not gone down well with the broad furrow of Flemish farmers.

In typical Dutch fashion they filled the streets of Brussels with processions of tractors. But their problems are greater than just having to adapt to a new nitrogen regulation. If the regional government fails to reach an agreement, the EU Commission may freeze the subsidies provided by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy – funds that most farmers are dependent on.

That brings us back to the original purpose of the bill, which is to deal with the excessively high deposition of nitrogen in the region’s sensitive natural areas. In 2019, the critical limit values for nitrogen were exceeded for 63 percent of the area of the nitrogen-sensitive habitat groups, and 56 percent of the total Natura 2000 area. The latter are areas that the government is obliged to protect under the EU Habitats Directive.

Another twist is that the high nitrogen emissions are putting the environmental licence of Brussels airport at risk. Brussels airport must apply for a new environmental permit this summer. But without a new nitrogen regulation in place, they don't know how much nitrogen they will be allowed to emit.

Sources: The Brussels Times 1 February 2023 https://www.brusselstimes.com/362787/brussels-airport-environmental-lice...
The Brussels Times 2 March 2023 https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium-in-brief/387062/belgium-in-brief-t...
Flanders Environment Ministry https://omgeving.vlaanderen.be/nl/stikstof

Belgium

In this issue

Global warming alters plankton communities

Plankton are cornerstones in marine food webs. Now research in the Mediterranean Sea shows that even short-term heat waves in the oceans can cause great damage to plankton communities.

Editorial: Need for an integrated view on oceans and climate

The oceans are hotter than ever. New records for marine heatwaves seem to be set more or less annually.

Mediterranean Sea will become a low-sulphur fuel area by 2025

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMO met for its 79th session in December 2022. The MEPC adopted amendments ...

Overcoming windpower conflicts in the Baltic Sea

Two conflicts regarding the location of offshore wind power in Estonia and Poland, show the benefit of including a wide range of stakeholders at an early stage in the planning process.

The long-term goal is 1.5°C

UN and G20 summits reaffirm that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires global CO₂emissions to be reduced by 45% by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero by 2050.

CO₂ from the cement industry can be reduced without CCS

There are good opportunities to reduce emissions from cement production, which now amount to some 7 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Measuring ozone the right way

Ground-level ozone affects our crop yields, with wheat being the most sensitive. Various indices can be used to express the ozone exposure of crops.

New US standard for fine particles to be expected

The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) proposes to tighten national air quality standards for fine particle matter (PM_2.5) for the first time since 2012.

Renewables are planable

There is no need for fossil fuels or nuclear power to stabilise our power system. Large power plants actually increase uncertainty, since the effects are so great when they fail to deliver.

Harvests from rewetted land

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions we need to restore huge areas of degraded peatland. Paludiculture can play an important part in stimulating interest among landowners.

Carbon removal proposal – a gift to emitting industries

A new Commission proposal presents carbon dioxide removal as an alternative to stop emitting CO₂. This may open up large loopholes in EU climate policy.

Flemish nitrogen breakdown

Nitrogen policy in the Flanders, in Belgium, has now become as explosive as it has been in the Netherlands in recent years.

Energy savings in buildings – an untapped potential

Heating and cooling of buildings is behind a third of CO2 emissions in the EU. Less than 1% of the stock is renovated each year; member states must step up and increase the pace.

Wind, water and solar – enough to solve the climate crisis

The payback time for a transition to a completely renewable energy system is less than six years. Additionally, it would require only about 0.53% of the world’s land for new energy which is less than the land required for the current energy system.

Greening electricity

Wind and solar produced more than 10% of global electricity in 2021, for the first time. They also surpassed nuclear, which fell below 10% for the first time in several decades. Hydro is still the top non-fossil electricity producer, but solar and wind are growing much faster.

EU is too slow on phasing-out fossil fuels in transport sector

The EU reached agreement in February 2023 on ending sales of new combustion engine cars and vans by 2035. But phasing out sales of new cars with internal combustion engines in the EU by 2035 ...