Centre for Climate Excellence to open in Brussels in 2022
The Belgian Science Policy Office already has a wide range of leading climate research institutions at its disposal. In 2022, the Centre for Climate Excellence, which will be located in the Brussels municipality of Uccle, will be added to this list.
Eighty full-time equivalent staff members carry out research on climate-related topics in the following federal scientific institutes: the Princess Elisabeth base in Antarctica, the new research ship Belgica II, the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI), the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. With so many institutions, Brussels is already one of the European leaders in this field.
In 2022, an additional centre of expertise will be added, and will collaborate with Belgian universities. It will provide scientific advice on climate for future government policy decisions. An additional €2 million per year will be allocated to the centre. This represents a 20% increase on the €10 million spent annually on climate research.
The aim is for the Centre for Climate Excellence to become the largest research centre in Europe. It will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to climate policy and help to make a difference.