Paris climate accord to stimulate Belgian job market more than any other European country
Belgium will have 0.94 percent extra jobs by 2030 if the Paris climate deal is carried out as agreed. The GDP would grow 2.2 percent, putting Belgium in third place. That's according to a new European report by Eurofound. Belgium will benefit a lot simply because it still has a long way to go to meet climate targets.
Eurofound is short for the "European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions". The report focuses on implications on the job markets and the countries' GDP if the Paris climate deal is carried out. It is very promising for Belgium. On average, GDP would go up 1.1 percent and the job bonus would be 0.5 percent on average, compared to a business-as-usual scenario. Belgium boasts a double score in both respects.
Why Denmark is bottom of the table
However, the reason why Belgium would make such a big leap forward, is less positive: it is simply because a lot of work still needs to be done. Belgium has a historic backlog, and still has a long way to go to meet climate challenges. This also explains why countries which are doing well to meet climate targets, such as Denmark, are making a lot less progress in the report. Denmark is listed in bottom of the table where GDP growth is concerned.
Belgium still has a lot of room for improvement in the area of energy-efficiency, such as the insulation of buildings. Eurofound says that Belgium has to continue to stimulate sustainable energy sources and technologies. Another piece of advice is linked to transport: taxes should be linked to the CO2 emission ofvehicles, and the market share of heavy luxury cars and SUV's should be reduced, as from next year. These vehicles consume a lot of fossil fuels.
Belgium should reduce the market share of heavy luxury cars and SUV's