‘Summer 2026: a wake-up call?’ seminar
33 researchers from various disciplines, representing 12 Belgian research institutions, met on 12 October 2026 at the Belgian Climate Centre to take stock of the unprecedented climate events of the summer of 2026, draw initial lessons from them, and explore ways to enhance the impact of research on decision-making.
This note sets out the key takeaways from the discussions.
Lessons learnt
Belgium proved largely unprepared to deal with climatic events such as those faced during summer 2026, as illustrated, e.g., by:
the largest excess mortality compared to all other countries in Europe [1]
the insufficient response to the fire in the High Fens [2]
homes, hospitals, retirement homes, schools etc. not prepared to protect people from heat
The sectors and activities affected the most during the heatwaves and droughts, all with cascading effects on productivity and the economy, include:
healthcare sector (workers, patients)
biodiversity and agriculture
construction and other sectors with outdoor workers
events, tourism, culture and sport sectors
Due to their impact on the labour force and productivity, the 2026 heatwaves caused GDP growth to decline by nearly 1%, wiping out the projected economic growth for this year [3]
Significant structural shortcomings were identified in terms of high-level crisis coordination and in early-warning procedures
Recommendations on priority actions for the governments
Cross-cutting principles
Restore the balance between mitigation and adaptation; mitigation policies have been rolled back in recent years, Belgian emissions have started to rise again (2025 compared to 2024), which risks jeopardising the long-term success of adaptation measures; studies clearly show that with increasing global warming the effectiveness of adaptation will decrease and additional human and natural systems will reach adaptation limits [4] (staying below 1.5 C of global warming has been identified as critical) and that mitigation is the most cost-effective action;
Improve emergency response as well as long-term risk and resilience planning with a focus on vulnerable groups (kids, elderly and specific socio-economic sectors) and increase the focus onon prevention
Implement existing international, federal and regional legal obligations and commitments relating to climate action and ensure their full implementation through a binding accountability framework
Strengthen trans-federal governance and high-level coordination structure to tackle climate extremes, with a strong interdisciplinary scientific focus (similar mechanism as for the Covid crisis)
Be proactive on the EU scene and ensure:
the integrity of the decarbonisation targets
the continuation of the ETS scheme
that EU (and Belgium) continue to be pioneers in climate action
safeguard against relying on dangerous levels of CDR or unproven geoengineering
Engage citizens with constructive messaging without downplaying the severity of the climate crisis:
highlight win-win solutions and co-benefits of climate action (ex: insulation and renewable energy allow to save money, offer more comfort in the house, and have positive effects on health)
promote positive aspects of shift in culture (sustainable travel, healthy food, clean air…)
showcase what has been done and the resulting positive impacts (health, competitiveness etc); have success stories to share within Belgium to encourage further action
use heritage, loss of culture, landscapes, risks on infrastructures, etc. to help make each person / organisation aware of the climate issue
Priority sectoral actions
Phase out fossil fuels (begin by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies) to unlock many co-benefits:
reduced import dependency and lower vulnerability to international crises
health and environmental gains
job creation within a just transition
Invest in electrification and renewable energies
Invest in accessibility and sustainability of public transport
Work on solutions to make cities more resilient, greener and bluer, by:
promoting cool zones, increasing the presence and accessibility of water bodies and green spaces; establishing heat plans, maps of “cold spots”
adapting buildings and urban design to a changing climate (e.g. investing in building renovation and insulation, including scaling up heat pumps)
Shift to more environmentally friendly agricultural practices
Recommendations on priority actions for the scientific community and institutions
Despite the severity of the crisis, the research community intervention was judged insufficient. The scientific community should:
Get itself organised (including through informal multidisciplinary networks) to react promptly and in a concerted manner to further crises and to ensure its input is duly considered in pieces of legislation. ;
Engage more proactively with decisionmakers, either individually or collectively (e.g. by establishing a structural dialogue with members of the parliaments);
Be more present in the media, which can be improved by:
participating to media trainings (for example those proposed by the BCC)
establishing proactive contacts with journalists
Centres of excellence and public agencies such as BCC, CERAC, Sciensano, RMI are underutilised; they should be on the frontline, more proactive, more visible in the medias. In particular, the RMI and BCC should:
Systematically establish explicit links between observed events, trends and climate change in their communications (based on attribution studies)
Support outreach activities of researchers who do engage with media/policy
Identify research tracks that can contribute to operational needs (notably risk and adaptation planning)
Universities should:
Organise collectively to coordinate messaging in reaction to climatic events or pieces of legislation; consider co-signing White Papers when climate policy gaps/back-pedalling/misinformation emerges (several instances this summer)
Hire dedicated knowledge brokers who would work on policy engagement
Support researchers who engage informing the general public/policymakers, reward that work, which is time consuming (alternatively, do point above)
References
