Our planet is warming, the climate is changing.

Fighting climate change is a major global challenge. 

For over 30 years we have been organising ourselves at international, European and national level, resulting in the slow emergence of a climate governance framework.

This governance framework is insufficient. But understanding its evolution is nevertheless an essential first step towards improving it. 

What are the current climate objectives? What role has science played in their definition? How is Belgium organising itself to achieve them? 

With the Climate Line, The Friday Group offers an overview of the history of Belgian climate governance. 

1988

Scientists realise climate change is a global issue that requires international cooperation.  International bodies are set up to review scientific evidence to guide political negotiations.

1990

  Reference year for international targets

1991

1992

IPCC FAR Climate Change: The IPCC 1990 and 1992 Assessments

1993

1994

IPCC FAR: IPCC Technical Guidelines for Assesing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations

1994

IPCC FAR: Climate Change 1994: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change and An Evaluation of the IPCC IS92 Emisison Scenarios

1995

1996

COP 2

Geneve

1997

IPCC FAR: The Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of Vulnerability

Kyoto is a turning point: for the first time countries decide to act together and 37 countries agree to reduce their emissions. Ultimately, 197 countries will also sign up but progress is slow, and varies from country to country.

1998

COP 4

Buenos Aires

1999

COP 5

Bonn

1999

IPCC FAR: Aviation and the Global Atmosphere

2000

2000

IPCC FAR: Emissions Scenarios

2000

IPCC FAR: Methodological and Technical Issues in Technology Transfer

2000

IPCC FAR: Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry

2000

COP 6

Den haag

2001

COP 7

Marrakech

2002

COP 8

New Delhi

2003

COP 9

Milan

2004

COP 10

Buenos Aires

2005

  Reference year European and Belgian emission reduction targets towards 2030

2005

IPCC FAR: Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System

2005

COP 11

Montreal

2006

COP 12

Nairobi

2007

COP 13

Bali

2008

COP 14

Poznan

2008

Kyoto Commitmnet period I: 2008-2012

Achieving the overall emissions target of -5% by 2012

2011

IPCC FAR: Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation

2012

IPCC FAR: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disaster to Advance Climate Change Adaptation

2013

COP 19

Warsaw

2014

COP 20

Lima

2015

Until now countries were focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement is a change in mindset: countries now agree to do whatever it takes to keep global warming under 1.5°/ 2°C. 

2016

COP 22

Marrakech

2017

COP 23

Bonn

2018

COP 24

Katowice

2019

IPCC Special Report: Climate Change and Land

2019

IPCC Special Report: The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

2019

COP 25

Madrid

2020

Now, the focus is on action. Countries must urgently figure out how to meet the Paris Agreement by developing and implementing national plans in the short and long-term and strengthen international cooperation.

2021

IPCC AR6 Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

Belgium needs to reach Net Zero by 2050.

How should we organise ourselves to achieve this?

Read our recommendations!