A consortium of firms specialising in carbon reduction, grouped under the banner of the 5Elements non-profit organisation, on Wednesday released a memorandum laying out its vision for a decarbonised world and emphasising the need for ambitious energy transitions.
The umbrella, which started with five members in September 2023 and now boasts about 20 companies that abstain from using fossil fuels, positions itself as a proactive participant in the fight against carbon emissions.
“We’re not idealists, we demonstrate that we already have the tools for pursuing decarbonisation, and that we need to accelerate such initiatives,” said Grégory Meys, co-founder of consortium member Karno Energy.
Their memorandum outlines six key proposals. Notably, 5Elements advocates open access to data aimed at enhancing heat network and energy community projects. Additionally, they champion a two-pronged Energy Performance Building system, as in France, that takes into consideration the origin of the consumed energy. Furthermore, they want to promote energy communities that encourage green electricity sharing.
The group also calls for more equitable competition through improved market regulation and better financing of the energy transition. This can be achieved through “political acts that can steer the market,” such as reducing electricity taxes compared to gas and tax exemptions.
5Elements supports the creation of extensive renewable projects such as photovoltaic fields. Belgium currently has 20 times fewer of these than the Netherlands, despite having a greater land area. “The laws are there, but there is a prevailing culture that hinders such installations on industrial wastelands or farming fields,” said Alex Houtart of EtherEnergy, another member of the consortium.
The association said it hopes to draw attention from political circles during the current period of governmental negotiations.
