In this assignment, the climate plan 2030 of the city of Antwerp was developed in several phases and projects. The layout was done in close cooperation with the city’s public and private stakeholders and led to the creation of support within the stakeholder community for the climate plan, the climate objectives, the climate measures and the governance structure. The starting point was a thorough technical analysis and modelling of the climate plan.
The climate plan was integrated into the policy architecture, governance agreement, multi-year planning, and policy instruments of the city of Antwerp. The plan is based on the common vision for 2030 (with a perspective towards 2050) of the stakeholders, but it is also strongly model-based (using a digital twin of the city) and supported by technical and economic analysis. This combination of a shared ambitious vision with realistic, substantiated possibilities (i.e., concrete measures) forms the foundation of the plan and its support. During the project, about twenty workshops, five surveys, and countless interviews were organized. Climate justice and the connection to sustainable development were of great importance throughout.
A unique aspect of this climate plan is the design of the comprehensive participation process and the creation of a stakeholder governance model for the implementation of the climate plan. This led to the approval and appointment of a climate director in early June 2020.