Climate: LEZ maintained, Renolution replaced, targets pending

Coalition Agreement: Announced Commitments

The agreement of 12 February 2026 sets environmental measures but does not define new climate targets:

• LEZ maintained: the schedule for future phases is unchanged. Financial parameters are attenuated: annual pass at EUR 350 (social rate EUR 200), fine reduced from EUR 350 to EUR 80
• Renolution replaced by zero-interest loans (EUR 200M) — impact on energy renovation to be assessed
• Brownfield sites preserved: Wiels, Avijl, Donderberg protected; 18-month moratorium on 4 other sites
• Vivaqua-Hydria merger: water management consolidated, recapitalisation of EUR 180 million (Region at 49.99%)
• EUR 30 million for the water merger transition

Ambiguous signal: the removal of Renolution (replaced by loans) and the absence of new CO2 targets do not allow the climate trajectory to be considered unblocked. The DPR does not set a new CO2 target beyond the existing PACE. The replacement of Renolution by zero-interest loans and the absence of a dedicated energy transition budget are ambiguous signals for the climate trajectory.

Energy policy (DPR, chapter 9)

Beyond Renolution and the LEZ, the DPR sets out several energy commitments:

• Energy communities: establishment of a legal framework for renewable energy communities, enabling local sharing of solar-generated electricity
• District heating networks: development of a master plan for urban district heating networks
• Biomethanisation: launch of a pilot project for biomethanisation of organic waste
• PACE: updating of the Air-Climate-Energy Plan, the regional strategic framework for the energy transition

These commitments have not yet been translated into concrete measures.

Municipal initiatives

The City of Brussels voted in December 2025 to remove the Temporary Road Occupation Tax (OTVP) for the installation of photovoltaic panels (max. 5 m², 2 working days). It is the first Brussels municipality to adopt this measure. Other municipalities have not followed suit at this stage.

Water management and climate adaptation

IEB's opinion (November 2025) on the future Water Management Plan (WMP 2028-2033) identifies several water-climate nexus challenges:

• GIEP (Integrated Stormwater Management): a key lever for climate adaptation according to IEB, but completely underfunded — budgets in the previous WMP remain far below allocations for pipe networks
• Overflows: approximately 10 Mm³/year of mixed water (rainwater + wastewater) is discharged into the hydrographic network (Canal and Senne), polluting aquatic environments
• Quaternary treatment mandatory by 2039 to remove emerging pollutants (antibiotics, pesticides, hormones) from treated water
• Extended polluter-pays: under the EU Urban Wastewater Directive, producers of environmentally harmful substances (pharmaceuticals, cosmetics) must cover at least 80% of quaternary treatment costs by 31/12/2028

Source: IEB, opinion on future challenges of Brussels water policy, 14 November 2025.

Asian hornets: 2026 trapping campaign

Brussels Environment has distributed over 4,000 traps to the 19 Brussels municipalities for the 2026 spring trapping campaign, running from 16 March to 1 May. The objective is to capture founding queens before they establish new nests. The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), an invasive species, threatens local pollinators (bees, bumblebees).

Property owners are responsible for neutralising nests on their land. Nests in public spaces can be reported via Fix My Street. Weather conditions (temperature >13°C) determine trapping effectiveness.

Sources: La Libre, BX1 (16 March 2026).

PFAS: Soil and Water Contamination

82 contaminated plots have been identified in the Brussels Region (47 soil, 55 groundwater). The Sicli site in Uccle shows levels up to 1,058× the standard. TFA is detected in all 6 drinking water reservoirs, with 97% of analyses exceeding the EU standard (in force since January 2026). The Environment Council calls for an integrated framework (February 2026).

Source: Brussels Environment, 2025-2026.