The province of Antwerp, in northern Belgium, is leading the way in the energy transition. Bolstered by collaborations between climate conscious citizens and local authorities, the province is home to five energy cooperatives, most of which started as citizen initiatives.

Image Day Mechelen res
Mechelen, Belgium. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

The city of Mechelen, visible in this false colour image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 21 September 2024, stands out as a leader in climate and energy strategy: in the last decade, the city reduced its carbon emissions by 15% per capita. It has further set out to draft a fossil-free heating strategy for the future.

Open data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and services is key to providing communities with important information on the implementation status of policies related to sustainable energy.

Featured image credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

Image: ocean wave
Ocean carbon sink weakened as record heat drove CO₂ release in 2023Climate

Ocean carbon sink weakened as record heat drove CO₂ release in 2023

Measurements analysed by an international research team led by ETH Zurich show that the global ocean absorbed significantly less CO₂ than anticipated during the unprecedented…
SourceSourceSeptember 22, 2025 Full article
Image: alloy
Deep-sea nodules offer a climate-smart source of critical metalsClimate

Deep-sea nodules offer a climate-smart source of critical metals

If manganese nodules can be mined in an environmentally friendly way, the critical metals needed for the energy transition could be produced with low CO₂…
SourceSourceDecember 4, 2025 Full article
Image
Prehistoric europeans faced near extinction during Ice Age, new study revealsClimate

Prehistoric europeans faced near extinction during Ice Age, new study reveals

An international team of researchers has uncovered how prehistoric hunter-gatherers in Europe responded to dramatic climate changes during the last Ice Age, revealing that populations…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreAugust 18, 2024 Full article