Van Ypersele: ‘I Am Furious’ About 20-Year Climate Delay
Belgium’s most prominent climate scientist, Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, has publicly declared he is “furious” (“ik ben woedend”) over two decades of delayed climate policy, as the country endures yet another heatwave week. The former Vice-Chair of the IPCC and Nobel Peace Prize laureate appeared on RTL Info Sunday wearing a black tie as a symbol of mourning for the more than 2,000 heat-related deaths Belgium suffered during the deadliest heatwave in its recorded history.
“With more than 2,000 victims, Belgium has suffered an incredible number of heat deaths in recent weeks,” van Ypersele told VRT NWS. “And these are really not only elderly people.”
A Crisis of Inattention
Van Ypersele, a physicist and climatologist at UCLouvain who served as IPCC Vice-Chair from 2008 to 2015, expressed particular outrage at the complete absence of official recognition for the heatwave victims.
“But where is the attention for that?” he asked. “There was no minute of silence, no official statement from the prime minister, and none from the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels ministers either. I find that shocking.”
The first IPCC report was published in 1990 — 36 years ago — and already warned of extreme temperatures. “The IPCC has said it hundreds of times, scientists around the world thousands of times: we must prepare better and reduce emissions to zero. Politicians cannot say they didn’t know,” van Ypersele said.
The Deadliest Heatwave on Record
According to data from health institute Sciensano, the June 2026 heatwave caused 2,000 excess deaths across Belgium — a 48 percent increase in mortality. Wallonia was hit hardest with a 77 percent excess mortality rate, followed by Brussels at 63 percent and Flanders at 31 percent. Critically, Sciensano confirmed that the heatwave affected all age groups, with hundreds of excess deaths among people under 65.
Specific Demands for Action
Van Ypersele outlined concrete short-term measures, including public cooling shelters with air conditioning accessible at night, drinking water points throughout cities, and better protection for vulnerable groups. He pointed to Paris as an example, noting that finding water in public spaces there is straightforward.
Medium-term, he called for urban greening and de-paving, along with a massive building renovation program for both heat and cold resilience. “Year after year, one government provides premiums, subsidies and loans, and the next one scraps them,” he said. “Much more attention is needed.”
On the long-term front, he criticized the weakening of the European Green Deal under industrial lobbying pressure and delays to the EU Emissions Trading System. “It is a scandal when the measures consist only of asking elderly people to stay in the shade,” he said. “Pregnant women, very young children and people with weak health are also vulnerable.”
Political Divide Deepens
The scientist’s emotional statement has exposed deep political divisions that hamper climate action in Belgium’s complex federal structure. The political divide over climate policy runs across party lines and government levels.
Flemish Climate Minister Hans Bonte (Vooruit) called the crisis “a wake-up call for all policy levels and all colleagues in the Flemish government,” urging accelerated climate action. However, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) struck a markedly different tone, warning against “panic” and “alarmism.” “We must ensure we provide the right support without sowing panic,” Diependaele said. “That cannot be the intention.”
Meanwhile, federal Climate Minister Jean-Luc Crucke’s (Les Engagés) 12-point adaptation plan — which included a national network of cool places, enhanced worker protection, and a national information campaign — was rejected by the Flemish government as a “communication stunt.” The proposal exposed the tensions between Belgium’s four governments (federal, Flemish, Walloon, Brussels) over who holds responsibility for climate adaptation.
A Governance Challenge
Belgium’s climate vulnerability is compounded by its fragmented governance structure. Climate responsibilities are divided across federal and regional levels, making coordinated action difficult. Nearly €1.9 billion in EU climate funds have been blocked for three years due to intergovernmental disputes over their distribution.
Van Ypersele framed the issue in stark terms: “Safety is not only a matter of bombs and drones. It is also a matter of a livable climate and of biodiversity that benefits our food and mental health. Investing in that is also safety.”
What’s Next
As Belgium faces another week of high temperatures, the Interministerial Committee on Public Health is expected to evaluate the heatwave response and draw lessons for future events. Van Ypersele’s intervention marks a significant shift from scientific advice to direct confrontation — a Nobel Prize-winning scientist expressing fury rather than measured caution. For policymakers at every level, the message is clear: the window for gradual action has closed, and the cost of delay is now measured in human lives.”