Can Fierens look to the future? “The diesel ban from 2030 in particular will be a big step forward. In addition, we should not neglect the emissions from buildings. In the long term, we must find ways to switch to heat pumps instead of gas combustion.” Wood stoves, which became more popular during the energy crisis, are completely out of the question. “They emit 100 to 150 times more than a gas boiler.”
Citizen movement Filter Café Filtré, which is committed to better air and a more liveable city, calls itself ‘moderately positive’ about the past government period. “At the same time, there remains a huge amount of work to be done,” says Annekatrien Verdickt. “I just cycled through Brussels for a few days with a friend from Ghent and she is amazed at how the car still dominates this city.”
What needs to be done differently? “We must continue to follow the circulation plans,” says Verdickt. “But in such a way that we immediately show how we redesign streets into places to stay. In addition, road pricing is the key to fewer cars and policy can focus much more on shared mobility.”
