What Ghent Climate City realised in 2020
2020, the year of the corona crisis and social distancing... But what did this strange year mean for Ghent's climate ambitions?
It is particularly striking that Ghent households are living more and more energy-efficiently. They emit up to 28% less, despite the increasing number of inhabitants. Facade gardens and green roofs also continue to do well.
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976 façade gardens
In 2020, a total of 976 façade gardens were applied for. This is twice as many applications as in 2019.
Climate change makes Ghent more prone to heat waves, which are also more intense, more extreme rainfall and longer periods of drought. We can already experience these phenomena today. We have to prepare our city for these changes in order to keep it an attractive, livable, healthy and safe place for our citizens, institutions and companies. Therefore we opt for green roofs and façades on municipal buildings and encourage the citizens and companies of Ghent to do the same.
The coronavirus crisis has made clear what we actually already knew: we need more green space in the city. This means more parks and nature reserves as well as more greenery on our pavements. This is confirmed by the figures: no fewer than 976 Ghentians applied for a façade garden in 2020, which is twice the number of 2019. The total number of façade gardens created in Ghent since 2014 amounts to 4,402. In addition, 12 climbing plants were planted and 118 street gardens under neighbourhood management were created in 2020.
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10,698 m² of green roofs
In 2020, subsidies were granted for 10,698 m² of green roofs in Ghent.
Climate change makes Ghent more prone to heat waves, which are also more intense, more extreme rainfall and longer periods of drought. We can already experience these phenomena today. We have to prepare our city for these changes in order to keep it an attractive, livable, healthy and safe place for our citizens, institutions and companies. Therefore we opt for green roofs and façades on municipal buildings and encourage the citizens and companies of Ghent to do the same.
In 2020, subsidies were granted for 10,698 m² of green roofs in Ghent. The figures for green roofs followed the same upward trend as in the previous years. In this context, it is important to note that an increasing number of Ghentians are benefiting from the subsidy to have a stability study of their roof conducted in advance.
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775,883 vegetarian school meals
Every year, 4,500 students from the municipal schools have a vegetarian meal on Thursdays.
Food plays an important and clear role in Ghent’s climate footprint. Ghent wants to be and remain a leader in the development and implementation of a local sustainable food strategy. That is why we are investing in short-chain and sustainable food, better access to healthy and sustainable food as well as less food wastage.
In 2013, Ghent was the first Belgian city to launch its own food strategy (Gent en Garde). A few small-scale initiatives have in the meantime developed into fully fledged projects. Regardless of the coronavirus, no fewer than 180 Ghent restaurants made it possible to take leftovers home in a compostable box in 2020. The Foodsavers Ghent initiative also focuses on reducing food waste: in 2020, no less than 676.31 tons of surplus food did not go to waste thanks to the project. Thursday Veggie Day has become a household name in Ghent too: approximately 4,500 pupils of Ghent’s municipal schools eat a vegetarian meal every Thursday, which amounts to 775,883 meals a year. These meals have become even more sustainable in 2021: all school meals now contain at least 50% vegetable proteins.
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1,536 free energy recommendations
1,536 Ghentians received free energy advice, 526 opted for assistance.
In 2018, about one quarter of Ghent’s CO2 emissions came from homes. Reducing the energy consumption of homes therefore remains a crucial factor for the achievement of our climate ambitions. Only 19 % of Ghent homes are equipped with energy-efficient roof insulation, glazing and heating. This means that 81 % of homes still require taking 1 or several basic steps, ranging from relatively small interventions such as installing insulation or replacing a central heating boiler to major renovations.
In 2020, a total of 1,536 Ghentians were provided with free energy advice by the experts from Energiecentrale, a one-stop shop for energy saving renovations. This group included 267 Ghentians who received online advice and 526 Ghentians who opted for assistance during renovations. In this context, it is important to note that most renovations were continued in compliance with the coronavirus measures.
Increasing the energy performance of apartments is often complex and requires a targeted approach. Energiecentrale therefore expanded its activities specifically aimed at associations of co-owners and property managers in the past year. In 2020, Energiecentrale provided consultancy support for 15 apartment blocks which totalled 95 apartments. In eight cases, the consultancy concerned collective interventions such as roof insulation and in 23 cases it concerned individual renovations for which a joint competition was held. Energiecentrale will continue to expanded its activities for apartments over the coming year.
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2,854 energy subsidies
In 2020, a total of 2,854 energy subsidies and 284 energy loans were applied for.
Financial thresholds continue to be the principal factor in delaying energy-saving renovations. The available subsidies can be an additional incentive, but are often insufficient. Since the subsidies are only paid after completion of the work, there may be a financial threshold for people who have difficulty advancing the costs of the investment or getting a loan from a bank. For this reason, the financial support will be gradually adjusted.
2,854 Ghentians applied for an energy subsidy and 284 Ghentians applied for an energy loan in 2020. The principal interventions for which subsidies were requested were roof insulation and energy-efficient glazing. 1,284 Ghentians with a limited income received an increased energy subsidy, amounting to 71% of the total budget. Since a subsidy is not always sufficient, 96 vulnerable households could also apply for an energy loan at an interest rate of 0%.
A new system of low-cost long-term energy loans will be launched in the spring of 2021 and should make it possible to coordinate and accelerate major energy-saving renovations.
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2,078 photovoltaic installations
A total of 2,078 new photovoltaic installations were carried out: a record.
Energy efficiency is insufficient to achieve the objective of a 40 % reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030. An increase in the local production of renewable energy is crucial as well. If we systematically reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, we need to develop alternatives simultaneously. We therefore maximise the available amount of renewable energy from the sun, soil, wind and waste flows. Therefore we aim at doubling the number of solar panels by 2025.
In 2020, a total of 2,078 new photovoltaic installations were carried out, the highest figure in years. Ghent now boasts a total of 11,835 installations, amounting to an installed capacity of 43 megawatt. This is a 21 percent increase compared to 2019, when 1710 new installations were registered. The rush on solar panels is the result of the discontinuance of the backward running (analogue) meter for owners of new installations after the end of 2020. All those who already owned solar panels would be given the choice between continuing the backward running (analogue) meter for another 15 years, or entering a new system. In early 2021, this arrangement was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court. Nevertheless, solar panels will remain an interesting investment in the coming years, as is explained to Ghentians by the experts from Energiecentrale.
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30 companies
30 Ghent companies participated in an energy coaching project.
The average CO2 emissions of Ghent enterprises and organisations (which do not fall under the European Emissions Trading System (ETS)) amount to approximately 40 % of the total CO2 emissions of the sectors defined in the Covenant of Mayors. This particular group is targeted by most of the efforts of the climate plan, which is aimed at a 40 % reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030 compared to 2007. To achieve this objective, we help enterprises and organisations cut their energy consumption, generate renewable energy and exchange residual flows.
In 2020, a total of 30 Ghent companies participated in an energy coaching project to lower their energy bills. The first analyses indicate an average reduction of 10-15%, as was the case in previous projects. For 16 companies, an in-depth energy audit was performed: the achievable energy savings are estimated at a CO2 emission reduction of 340 tons a year, which corresponds to making 100 households fully climate neutral. The accompanying measures will be investigated and implemented further in 2021.
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306 number plates exchanged
306 Ghentians exchanged their number plate for a mobility budget.
Vehicles constitute one of the biggest sources of emissions. The challenges in this sector are enormous and call for action at several levels. For the next few years, Ghent’s objective is to further reduce the number of vehicle kilometres of motorised transport, avoid unnecessary journeys and increase transport via more environmentally friendly modes of transport. It is important to reduce the number of transport movements and to keep on promoting sustainable mobility. In addition, we need to continue to support the transition towards environmentally friendly mobility, and electric (shared) mobility in particular.
In 2020, a total of 306 Ghentians exchanged their number plate for a mobility budget worth € 500. They can use this budget to request reimbursements for a selection of sustainable transport alternatives such as an electric bicycle, a speed pedelec or a public transport season ticket. 642 people who shared a car with other users were reimbursed their membership fee. Nine shared electric cars and six electric taxis received a subsidy in the past year.
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119 polluting vehicles scrapped
119 residents of the low-emission zone had their polluting vehicles scrapped in 2020.
The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is another urban initiative that results in a health improvement by banning the most polluting modes of mobility from the city. This way, we also stimulate the transition towards cleaner vehicles. In the long term, the LEZ also offers the possibility of developing into a climate measure. Residents of the low emission zone who get rid of an old car that's not allowed in the zone, can get a scrapping premium.
119 residents of the low-emission zone applied for a scrapping premium and had their polluting vehicles scrapped in 2020. Between the introduction of the scrapping premium in 2017 and its discontinuation at the end of 2020, a total of 745 premiums were granted – equivalent to a queue of polluting cars 3 or 4 km long. The scrapping premium had been introduced on the occasion of the creation of a low-emission zone in Ghent.
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