GREEN GUIDE EMEA 2023: Belgium
ASTREA BV CVBA
The multi-disciplinary green team at Belgian full-service firm ASTREA BV CVBA is active in advising clients on the financing, development, and construction of innovative projects in connection with a green transition.
For example, the firm assists clients with innovative solutions which seek to decarbonise the transport industry. Dieter Veestraeten is acting for Tree Energy Solutions across commercial, real estate, and contract law matters; the company will utilise renewable energy sources to produce green hydrogen as fuel for the European transportation market.
Within the firm’s specialised environmental law team, Ciska Servais assisted INEOS Olefins Belgium with environmental assessments and applications for Project ONE. A €3bn investment, Project ONE will be the most eco-friendly ethane cracker in Europe, targeting carbon neutrality within ten years of its opening. The firm’s environmental work also includes challenging 3M Belgium on its liability and remediation duties concerning soil polluted with PFAs.
In the renewable energy sector, the firm is continuing to advise wind turbine manufacturer Enercon on various legal aspects surrounding the installation of wind turbines in Belgium. For Sunvest, who build and operate solar parks with a focus on community participation and biodiversity preservation, the firm assisted with the incorporation of the client’s Belgian subsidiary and in the drafting of lease rights for the installation of PV panels.
Ruud De Houwer advises the Belgian Federal Government on diverse matters concerning the Belgian North Sea, including building an innovative ‘energy island’ in the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, which will connect a pipeline offshore wind project zone to the mainland.
Supporting the firm’s internal target of becoming climate neutral by 2040 at the latest, the firm’s Antwerp office is located in a BREEAM excellent-certified building.
CMS
Multi-jurisdictional and UN Global Compact signatory firm CMS regularly advises clients on a range of environmental matters. Its Belgian office stands out for its internal initiatives and for its work advising clients in relation to ESG matters.
The office was awarded the Silver Sustainability ranking by EcoVadis, which mirrored the office’s commitment to train employees on energy conservation and climate actions. Additionally, the office supports Graine de vie (Seed for Life), which offsets the ecological footprint from industrialised countries by planting hundred of hectares of trees each year in developing countries. In an ongoing highlight, the office’s real estate team is assisting SLRB – CityDev with an ESG project, driven by the need to both create more affordable housing in Brussels and have a zero-carbon emission development, counting with a common co-generation platform and solar panels.
Globally, the firm aims to keep clients updates about sustainable trends through its CMS Green Globe Initiative, launched in 2022. It also aims to keep clients ahead of the ESG regulatory framework by providing training sessions. Internally, the firm’s SDG-based environmental roadmap includes measurable goals which demonstrate its commitment to sustainability. These include avoiding, reducing, and offsetting its environmental impact, and carrying out pro bono work and donating to charities involved in supporting the environment.
Deloitte Legal
Deloitte Legal’s Belgium office counts with a climate and energy team that has vast experience in the renewables sector and stands out for its role in the development of environmental legislation in the area. Led by Kathleen De Hornois and Dominique Vanherck, the team is assisting the Port of Oostende & POM West-Vlaanderen with performing a legal analysis of the rules around the decommissioning, repowering, and refurbishment of offshore and onshore wind turbines in Belgium. The team is further helping the client draw up a commissioning plan with a policy framework for the EU project DECOM Tools.
The duo is also aiding the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (currently the Clean Hydrogen Partnership), which was established by the European Commission, in a study to examine the development of a hydrogen economy in ports and industrial coast areas. Additionally, Vanherck has prepared a study for OVAM with legislative proposals to amend the EU Waste Frame Directive to include more waste prevention measures. This study could potentially have a major impact on the European legislation relating to circular economy.
At a global level, the firm aims to contribute to the Paris Agreement goals through WorldClimate, an initiative to achieve net-zero emissions within the firm by 2030. Commitments include reducing the firm’s scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70% and achieving 100% energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, the firm has offered a number of legal conferences and seminars covering ESG related topics, including new green taxes and carbon border adjustment mechanisms. It has also published several publications around new environmental regulations, such as the incorporation of ESG criteria into investments.