Belgium

The second part of the 2022-2023 European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on people’s individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.

To accelerate Europe’s green transition, and to ensure the sustainability of the continent’s long-term competitiveness, investing in European research and development will be crucial. Therefore, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has today signed a €475 million loan agreement to support the research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities of Stockholm-based leading technology and engineering group Atlas Copco. The loan will finance investments into research and development of new, innovative technologies, including a wide range of new compressors, air treatment systems, vacuum solutions, industrial power tools and assembly systems, machine vision, and power and flow solutions.

In 2022, the EIB and the EIF, which together make up the EIB Group, made almost €2.7 billion in financing available to Belgian projects. Just over €2.3 billion came from the EIB and almost €335 million from the EIF, the group subsidiary devoted exclusively to SME financing. Supporting such businesses still grappling with the consequences of the health crisis was one of the top priorities, as was backing climate action projects. For example, the EIB signed a new tranche of financing with Fluvius for infrastructure investments, which include adapting distribution networks for the electrification of public buses.