Image by Unsplash, Tobias Cornille
Leuven (Belgium)
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 miles) east of Brussels.
Mobility is responsible for 25% of the city of Leuven’s CO2 emissions. Alongside its residents, the university and the companies based in Leuven, the city council is working on a climate plan that should make the city climate neutral by 2030.A baseline measurement revealed that Leuven is not a forerunner in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The largest bulk of energy is consumed by the city’s buildings, producing 60% of emissions. This is higher than in other Flemish cities. Traffic is the second-most important source of emissions (25%).Mobility is therefore one of the main 6 themes for the climate plan, next to energy, buildings, consumption, agriculture and participation. More than 200 representatives of companies, organisations and the Leuven University have exchanged ideas on these topics. A strategic vision about the future of the city was developed by the ‘G20 for a climate-neutral Leuven’, which comprises 22 decision makers from the municipality, business, university and civil society.Every Leuven resident is invited to become a ‘climate ambassador’. Ambassadors support the initiative and encourage other residents and organisations to submit their own version of a climate plan. From December 2012 onwards, climate ambassadors will convene in a Climate Parliament to start shaping Leuven’s climate plan.