Leuven Climate City Contract

A new Board takes over

A new Board, the third already, takes over. Anne Van Oudenhove takes up the chairmanship for KBC. After stad Leuven (first Board) and KU Leuven (second Board) took on this responsibility for the membership categories of governments and knowledge institutions, a business member now takes on this commitment. As of this term, the board members' responsibilities are further expanded and they're more closely involved in our work. At the same time, the number of board members increases from 15 to 18, as the membership category of citizens and civil society organisations is split into two separate categories with their own representation.

The ELENA L.E.U.V.E.N. - project comes to an end

What started in December 2017 as a collaboration of 18 organisations culminates this month in a network of 24 partners who retrofitted 100 buildings together. This represents 150,000 retrofitted square metres and 1,000 kilowatt-peak of renewable energy generated. By pooling their investment budgets, the project received a EUR 1.6 million grant from the European Investment Bank. We brought the partners and their investment portfolios together and secured the European subsidy. We also guided the partners in the realisation of their building projects and supported them in the sharing of knowledge and expertise.

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City of Leuven launches Leuven Future Fund

The city of Leuven launches the Leuven Future Fund as a recovery measure after the Corona lockdown. With an initial investment of EUR 2.5 million, it promises to give sustainable entrepreneurship in Leuven a big boost. We were instrumental in the creation of this fund by launching exploratory studies with, among others, Bankers Without Boundaries and BrightWolves. We also continue to support the implementation of this financial lever.

Vorm 3010 sets off

Together with the City of Leuven, we launch Vorm 3010, an extensive participation process with the inhabitants and other stakeholders in Kessel-Lo on how to reshape their neighbourhoods, streets and squares in an attractive and sustainable way.

The process will result in a new mobility plan for Kessel-Lo, but we are also seizing the opportunity to meet other sustainability challenges concerning greening, depaving and improving quality of life. Vorm 3010 is thus also the start of the strategic experiment in Kessel-Lo that arose from the collaboration with EIT Climate-KIC.

Leuven wins iCapital Award and can call itself European Capital of Innovation

A new recognition for Leuven: our city can call itself European Capital of Innovation! Leuven 2030, together with the city of Leuven and Leuven MindGate, submitted the winning dossier. Our unique and ambitious climate approach, including an extensive city-wide collaboration, is cited by the European Commission as one of the decisive arguments.

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Launch of School 2030

The city of Leuven, the province, Leuven 2030, SOM and partners such as Rikolto, Mobiel 21, EcoWerf, Djapo and GoodPlanet join forces in School 2030. This structural partnership offers Leuven's education sector a framework to put their plans, commitments and measures in a wider context. And that's important, because the Roadmap also focuses on involving youngsters as an important pivotal generation in making the transition to a fossil-free society.

Four strategic experiments see the light

The collaboration with EIT Climate-KIC translates into four strategic experiments within the non-profit association: Project Kessel-Lo, Project Wijk Energietransitie, Project Bedrijventerrein Haasrode and Project Growth Hacking. These strategic experiments intersect the various programmes of the Roadmap to connect complex challenges and thus arrive at innovative strategies and solutions.

The start of breakthrough projects

To focus on the projects that test new solutions or represent a major step forward within the Roadmap, we launch our breakthrough projects. For each of the Roadmap's programmes, the programme manager launches at least one breakthrough project.

At the table with Leuven's entrepreneurs
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To implement the Roadmap towards 2050, we need innovative ideas and entrepreneurs we can count on. That is why we bring together almost 80 entrepreneurs in Leuven's M museum to work on specific climate challenges. It's the first time we involve industry and business so explicitly and this event is the start of a path that is increasingly followed in the coming years

Leuven selected as one of ten icon cities by EIT Climate-KIC

Leuven, with Leuven 2030, is selected as one of the partner cities in the ambitious 'Healthy, Clean Cities' - programme of European expertise centre EIT Climate-KIC, alongside cities such as Copenhagen, Vienna, Amsterdam, Madrid and Milan. The main objective is to research and develop more radical ways to take faster and bigger steps in the context of urban climate transition.

The expertise and financial support of the EIC Climate-KIC partners will help us delimit and realise a number of complex projects in as little time as possible. Katrien Rycken, director Leuven 2030

The Leuven 2030 team expands considerably with programme managers

In addition to the existing project team, at least one programme manager is appointed for each programme in the Roadmap to translate the plan's steps into concrete actions. These are often experts who are made available by partner organisations on a part-time basis to work on the Roadmap, sometimes free of charge, sometimes for a fee.

Very first ambassador of the European Climate Pact

Leuven declares itself as the very first ambassador of the European Climate Pact, thus explicitly responding to Europe's ambition to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. As always, we express this commitment together with various partners: in addition to Leuven 2030, the city of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven MindGate and imec also declare themselves to be ambassadors during a well-attended Facebook Live.