On Thursday, a survey conducted by BNP Paribas Fortis revealed that only one in 10 motorists have switched their polluting vehicles for low-emission cars. As many as 35% stated that they could not consider making such a switch, especially before 2029.
With transport accounting for 20% of all CO2 emissions in Belgium, transitioning towards electric and hybrid vehicles could soothe the country's fears over climate change.
As a result, the banking group BNP Paribas Fortis questioned 2,000 Belgians over the type of car they drive in light of the ongoing climate and energy crises, with La Libre publishing the bank's findings on Thursday.
However, the survey did not bode well for the popularity of electric vehicles, with 78% of respondents still owning a car that runs or petrol or diesel, only 2% less than in 2021. Furthermore, only one in 10 Belgians have made the switch to a low-emission car.
For BNP Paribas Fortis, this can be attributed to 'Belgian skepticism' towards electric vehicles as 35% of those surveyed stated that they could not consider giving up their polluting vehicle for an environmentally-friendly car, an increase on last year's figure of 29%.
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Additionally, when looking at the differences between the country's regions, 60% of French-speaking respondents explained that they were not willing to switch to an electric car before 2029, compared to 50% of Flemish respondents. The reason given is that the prices of electric vehicles are still too high for households' wallets.
Nonetheless, the majority of Belgians have changed their habits in the past year, either by reducing their car trips in favour of cycling or walking. That being said, two in three of those surveyed have called on banks, such as BNP Paribas Fortis, to make more of an effort in encouraging Belgians to switch to greener modes of transport.
