Final energy consumption

A decrease of 11.5% in final energy consumption was observed in Belgium between 2005 and 2023. The sectors consuming the most energy are industry, transport and buildings. Changes in consumption are linked to climatic variations (heating needs) and other cyclical developments (e.g. energy prices) or underlying trends, such as changes in economic activity, energy performance and behaviour. The trends in Belgian energy consumption as described above suggest that Belgium is on track to meet its (indicative) objective of 29.90 Mtoe by 2030.

The main challenges are, for example, the institutional context, the high proportion of old buildings, the dominance of transport by road and the strong manufacturing base with several energy-intensive sectors. Plans for progress have been put in place that are in line with European policies to reduce primary energy consumption and encourage renewable energy use. These include measures that aim to increase energy efficiency or reduce the energy needs of various sectors (building renovation, technological switches, changes in energy sources used, transition of the economy, transport modal shifts and reduction in mobility needs).