Renewable energy (i35)

In 2021, 13% of Belgiumʹs gross final energy consumption was produced from renewable sources. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must reach 17.5%. The projections of the National Energy-Climate Plan 2021-2030 of Belgium indicate that this objective will be reached (data available in November 2023). Renewable energy is therefore developing favourably.

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Renewable energy - Belgium - trend assessment

percentage of gross final energy consumption

 200020042005201020152020202120252030
observations--1.92.36.08.113.013.0----
projection (November 2023)--------------13.717.5
objective 203017.517.517.517.517.517.517.517.517.5

Eurostat (2023), Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption [sdg_07_40], https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 20/03/2023); Concere, CNC (2019), Plan national intégré Energie Climat Belge 2023-2030, https://www.nationalenergyclimateplan.be/en (consulted on 20/03/2023).

Renewable energy - Belgium and international comparison

percentage of gross final energy consumption

 20042005201020152016202020212021//20042021//2016
Belgium1.92.36.08.18.713.013.011.98.3
EU279.610.214.417.818.022.021.84.93.9
//: Average Growth Rates

Eurostat (2023), Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption [sdg_07_40], https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 20/03/2023).

Definition: renewable energy is measured as the share of energy consumption from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption, as defined in the European Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (Official Journal of the European Union, 5/6/2009). Gross final energy consumption is the energy consumed by all final consumers, including losses on the transport network and the consumption of the energy sector itself. The data come from Eurostat.

Goal: the share of renewable energy must reach 17.5% by 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 7.2: “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.”

The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development contains objective 16: “The low-carbon forms of energy will predominate in the energy mix. Renewable energy sources will be a significant part of it"(Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).

In the European Directive 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (Official Journal of the European Union), the European Union (EU) sets a goal for 2030, namely a 32% share of renewable energy. The European Regulation 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (Official Journal of the European Union) requires all EU Member States to prepare a National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the period 2021-2030. In response to this European obligation, Belgium’s NECP for 2021-2030 sets a goal of 17.5% renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030 (Concere/CNC, 2019). This plan must be updated every ten years, the first update being due in June 2024.

International comparison: when comparing Belgium with the European Union in 2021, it appears that the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption is higher in the EU27 than in Belgium, namely 22% compared to 13%. The gap is stable over the whole period considered. When Member States are divided into three groups, Belgium is part of the group with the poorest performance in 2021. In that year, Sweden ranked first with 63% and Luxemburg last with 12%.

UN indicator: the selected indicator corresponds to indicator 7.2.1 - Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.

Sources

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