Climate governance in Belgium

Abstract As a ‘super-wicked problem’, climate change poses unprecedented challenges, requiring a fundamental rethinking of governance systems. This is particularly evident in Belgium, where key political characteristics—including atypical federalism and corporatism—reveal significant limitations in addressing climate change and associated injustice. This chapter reviews the literature on climate governance in Belgium, focusing on climate mitigation policy and its recent evolution toward a broader just transition framework. It highlights how climate policy, primarily driven by international and European obligations, struggles to achieve climate ambition and integrate justice imperatives. The chapter also examines the role of the complex multilevel governance system in these shortcomings and underscores the need to strengthen and broaden social dialogue practices. It further explores citizen participation as a lever for reinforcing climate action. Finally, the chapter outlines five avenues for future research: governance of just transition, governance of exnovation, post-growth welfare states, pragmatic ecology advocacy, and long-term governance.