Heatwaves this summer, record floods a year ago, drought, forest fires... the visible consequences of climate change are now also multiplying in Belgium. However, are Belgians really aware of what is at stake when it comes to climate change?
A recent study of attitudes on climate change set out to take measures of what people in Brussels and Wallonia understand of global warming, the causes, the consequences we already see, and the consequences to come if action isn’t taken.
The study, by climate experts from a number of universities, shows that there is still much to be done in terms of awareness. Most of those polled were unable to link the physical phenomenon of warming to the increase in greenhouse gases.
Many Belgians, while concerned about rising temperatures and the state of the environment being left to future generations, do not perceive how urgent the emergency is.
"We have often had scorched lawns in the summer, in the past, without talking about global warming," said one. “I sometimes have the impression that some people get a bit dramatic as soon as it gets a little hot, now," added another.
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Yet the data is clear. In areas of Wallonia, annual temperatures have risen by almost two degrees over the past 70 years, according to the Royal Institute of Meteorology. In addition, episodes of high heat have multiplied in recent years.
For François Massonnet, a climatologist at UCLouvain, it is necessary to take the time to explain the issue, to build a climate culture among citizens.
"I prefer to take 10 to 15 years of my time to explain and make people understand the situation rather than imposing radical measures on people that they will not understand... which could cause even worse crises,” he said. “This does not prevent us from already making progress in parallel on concrete and important measures "
