Wallonia

Population:	3.44 million (2007)
GHG Emissions:	47.8 MtCO₂e

Targets and Goals

The Walloon Region is targeting a 7.5% CO₂ emissions reduction for the 2008-2012, compared to 1990 levels.
The Walloon Region wants to reduce final energy consumption by 8% in 2010 compared to 2000 (-11% in industry, -5% in residential, -11% in tertiary and -6% in transport).
By 2010, the Walloon Region aims to generate 8% of electricity from renewable energy sources (1.8% in 2000) and produce 12% of overall low temperature thermal consumption (heating, sanitary hot water, low temperature industrial applications) from renewable energy sources (5% in 2000).

The Walloon Region grants subsidies to promote energy efficiency:
- to municipalities for the replacement of public lighting (up to 70% of the cost of the investment).
- to municipal, provincial and regional buildings as well as schools and hospitals (UREBA programme), allowing a subsidy rate of 50% for energy accounting, 30% for energy audits, 30% for investments up to a certain level of energy performance and 30% for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and renewable energy investments.
The Walloon Region offers a three-year grant covering 50% of the personnel and operating expenses for voluntary municipal initiatives in the field of rational use of energy and renewable energy sources (PALME - Programme of Local Action for Energy Management)
Since 2000, the Walloon Region has negotiated voluntary branch agreements meant to enhance the energy efficiency of the main industrial sectors based in Wallonia, known as Sector Agreements (SAs). These also set out the efforts made by the industrial sectors to reduce their CO₂ emissions.

To increase production of renewable energy from 1.8% in 2000 to 8% in 2010, the Walloon Government has introduced a system of green certificates, quotas of renewable energy to be supplied by energy services companies.
The SOLTHERM program aims to have 200,000m² of solar panels installed for 2010, by means of information campaigns and incentives. For households, the subsidy is Euro1,500 (US$2,100) for 4m² and Euro100 (US$140) per additional m². Financial incentives from local authorities (provinces and municipalities) can be combined. Subsidies from the provincial authorities range between Euro500 and Euro750 (US$700-$1,050); municipalities offer between Euro124 and Euro750 (US$174-$1,050).

Within the Walloon Region Air and Climate Plan, Wallonia will develop actions to:
- ensure an equitable distribution of the public space between users;
- encourage the use of alternative mobility (bicycles, walking) by eliminating black spots and the physical barriers found on some roads;
- promote a shift away from road transport in the transport of goods sector through improvement of navigability on main waterways and development of networks and freight terminals.

A set of measures concerning the storage, handling and spreading of farmyard manure is being phased in by 2010. The measures are particularly intended to optimize storage, spreading and composting techniques and practices, as well as the preduction of bio-methane, via environmental agreements and with the financial support of the public authorities.
The new forest Code (decree 15 July 2008) introduces new constraints favoring forest conservation and preservation of the wood and carbon stocks.

Within the Plan for Sustainable Management of Energy, the Walloon Regions has planned to develop quality combined heat and power (CHP) power plants with the aim to increase electricity generation with this technology from 3.5% in 2000 to 20%.

128 industries are involved in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, in which a second allocation plan was agreed in 2007 covering the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period. The incentives to reduce industrial GHG emissions were reinforced by voluntary branch agreements which commit the main industrial sectors to improve their energy efficiency.

Mr André Guns
Conseiller
A.Guns@mrw.wallonie.be

Mr Stéphane Cools
Policy Officer
St.Cools@mrw.wallonie.be