Belgium's Responsibility Towards The Environment

Belgium Kingdom of Belgium [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	12th best
Capital	Brussels
Land Area	30 280km21
Location	Europe
Population	11.5m2
Life Expectancy	81.88yrs (2017)3
GNI	$52 293 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BE, BEL, 565
Internet Domain	.be6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+328

Belgium comes 74th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Belgium comes in the best 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₉ and in its environmental performance₁₀. It does better than average in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₁₁. Belgium still has work to do. Belgium does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₁₂, reducing annual meat consumption per person₁₃ (still low for Europe) and in energy to GDP efficiency₁₄.

1. Belgium's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
   7. Green Future Index
3. Links

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1. Belgium's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
19	Romania	73.8
20	UK	74.4
21	Turkey	75.0
22	Belgium	75.3
23	Bulgaria	75.8
24	Latvia	77.7
25	Slovakia	80.8
26	Poland	81.0
27	Slovenia	82.1
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
71	UK	74.4
72	Turkey	75.0
73	China	75.2
74	Belgium	75.3
75	Cape Verde	75.6
76	Afghanistan	75.7
77	New Zealand	75.8
78	Bulgaria	75.8
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better11
Pos.		Total11
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.6%
59	Djibouti	3.6%
60	Tajikistan	3.4%
61	Belgium	3.3%
62	Croatia	2.9%
63	Netherlands	2.8%
64	UAE	2.5%
65	Albania	2.5%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Regarding its forested percent change 2000-2020, Belgium ranks 61st in the world.

Forests are carbon sinks, mitigating against climate change_16,17. Unfortunately, we are destroying over 70,000 km² of forest each year₁₈. In the last few thousand years, we've removed 30-40% of the Earth's forest cover_19,17, mostly to clear space for agriculture, and for logging_20,21. The produce from both is shipped from poorer countries to richer ones. Half-hearted government efforts and company obfuscation of supply chains makes it almost impossible for consumers to tell which foods and products are from sustainable sources, and which ones are encouraging irresponsible deforestation, meaning that there is little incentive for companies to relent.

The effects are catastrophic. 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation_22,20. It brings soil erosion from wind and rain which, over time, can almost-permanently stop any hope of growing food₂₃, and spreads desertification. Entire ecosystems are collapsing as a result, including ones that we depend upon₂₄. The water cycle is driven by forests, and their loss reduces ordinary rainfall, increases flooding, removes an abundant source of water filtration, and contributes to a rise in water levels.₂₅.

Some regions of the world are increasing their forest cover₁₇; the best from 2000-2020 are Scandinavia (13.8% ), The Balkans (11.0% ) and Baltic States (7.6% )₁₁. There is an overall trend that developed countries gathered their riches by using up their natural resources, and now, they pay poorer countries to use up theirs instead, whilst they can afford to slowly rebuild their natural environments. But it's not wholly that simple - some rich regions are still burning through what they've got. The regions clearing their forests fastest are Central America (-12.8% ), Africa (-9.1% ) and North America (-2.9% )₁₁.

For more, see:

• "Deforestation" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

Averages by decade for Belgium (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Belgium:	3.4%	-0.1%
World Rank:	43rd	⇣  145th
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better10
Pos.		201810
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
12	Spain	78.4
13	Germany	78.4
14	Norway	77.5
15	Belgium	77.4
16	Italy	77.0
17	New Zealand	76.0
18	Netherlands	75.5
19	Israel	75.0
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Regarding its environmental performance, Belgium comes 15th-best in the world.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better14
Pos.		2022 Avg14
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
118	Armenia	1.42
119	Finland	1.44
120	Qatar	1.46
121	Belgium	1.49
122	Panama	1.49
123	Uzbekistan	1.52
124	Malaysia	1.53
125	Vietnam	1.55
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

Belgium comes 121st in the world in terms of energy to GDP efficiency.

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for Belgium (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1960s  Average	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Belgium:	3.16	2.89	2.32	2.28	2.00	1.61
World Rank:	52nd	52nd	⇣  108th	⇣  112th	⇣  124th	⇡  123rd
World Avg:	2.05	2.13	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
54	New Zealand	66%
55	Spain	66%
56	Guatemala	66%
57	Belgium	66%
58	Papua New Guinea	66%
59	Italy	66%
60	Morocco	66%
61	Congo, DR	65%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Belgium comes 57th in the world regarding its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Each country is scored using a formula that takes the date each country took up major international environmental agreements, as a ratio of maximum possible days. The agreements covered are: (1) the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, (2) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, (3) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, (4) the Waigani Convention (for those countries that are eligible), (5) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), (6) the Kyoto Protocol and (7) its successor, the Paris Agreement, (8) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), (9) the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and finally, (10) the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Belgium was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988 whilst most others delayed until subsequent years.

“Belgium aims to reach climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1). In 2023, Belgium accounted for 3.5% of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduced its net emissions by 29.3% between 2005 and 2023, just below the EU average reduction of 30.5% over the same period. Also during that period, the country reduced emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system (ETS) by 46.7%. Belgium's land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has consistently performed as a small carbon sink.”

EU 2023 Climate Action Strategy₂₆

Averages by decade for Belgium (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Belgium:	0%	50%	61%	86%	97%
World Rank:	52nd	⇡  27th	⇣  53rd	⇡  43rd	⇣  85th
World Avg:	8.5%	23.3%	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better12
Pos.		2011 %12
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
100	Israel	27.6%
101	Palestine	27.5%
102	Saudi Arabia	27.2%
103	Belgium	26.9%
104	Syria	26.6%
105	Qatar	26.5%
106	Bahrain	26.3%
107	S. Africa	26.2%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Regarding the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, Belgium comes 103rd in the world. In a 2023 survey, 49% of Belgians identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world₂₆. "Most expect the EU (65%) and/or business and industry (52%) and national governments (49%) to tackle climate change, while 40% find it to be their personal responsibility"₂₆.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better13
Pos.		2021 kg13
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
115	China	63.6
116	Netherlands	63.8
117	Malaysia	65.3
118	Belgium	66.2
119	Gabon	66.3
120	Sweden	66.9
121	Romania	67.1
122	Malta	67.8
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Belgium ranks 118th in the world regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person (still good for Europe).

There are five key arguments in favour of vegetarianism which accrue even from partial adoption: (1) Vegetarian diets have notable health advantages over carnivorous diets, especially for heart and cardiovascular issues_27,28,29. (2) It is morally better to avoid killing or harming animals. (3) Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists urge governments to encourage people to switch₃₀. (4) Vegetarian food production uses substantially less land_27,31,32. And, (5) vegetarianism is better for the environment than meat-production for emissions, sewerage, pollution and chemicals usage._27,31. A plant-based diet causes 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than a typical carnivorous diet₃₂. The global food industry causes about 1/3 of all planet-heating emissions, and so "to slow the worst climate effects, the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in meat consumption"₃₂. Despite this, "reducing appetites for carbon-intensive meat and dairy is incredibly hard"₃₃ and as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Belgium was reducing.₁₃

On average throughout the 2010s, Belgium's rate was 63.6.

2.7. Green Future Index

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Green Future Index Higher is better9
Pos.		2023 Score9
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
9	France	6.0
10=	Spain	5.9
10=	Germany	5.9
12	Belgium	5.8
13	Italy	5.7
14=	Ireland	5.7
14=	Canada	5.7
16	Luxembourg	5.6
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

In terms of its score on the Green Future Index, Belgium comes 12th-best in the world.

The Green Futures Index (GFI) has been running since 2021, and looks at 23 data sets for over 70 countries, with a focus on effectiveness, policy and planning 'for a low carbon future. It is complementary to existing goals and frameworks for sustainable development'. Datasets include qualitative appraisals and quantitative measurements on carbon emissions across multiple sectors, renewable and nuclear energy, recycling capabilities, green technologies used in building and construction, transport, scientific and industrial green innovations and patent quantities, climate action and climate policies. Each country is then ranked by their final score.₃₄.