“Chimneys will be for nostalgics and for Santa Claus”

The heat transition is a central challenge in cities. It needs a lot of foresight and planning  to make heat supply of buildings and neighbourhoods climate-neutral. Today we take you to Mechelen, a Belgian medium-sized town located right in between Brussels and Antwerp.

Mechelen has already started its heat journey a while ago. The goal? To switch to a renewable heat supply for all its buildings by 2050. But what political strategies, resources and players does it take to make such a municipal heat shift happen? Ighor Van De Vyver may have some answers: Ighor belongs to the climate team of the municipality of Mechelen. When you hear him talk about the city’s very recent municipal heat plan and their Heat Coalition you’ll understand why Mechelen was awarded this year’s Covenant of Mayors award as part of the Cities Heat Detox Campaign. He explains what efforts they make since 2019. He also stresses that the heat shift is not only a matter of finance. He noticed that there is still a knowledge gap when it comes to technologies like district heating and individual heat pumps. The city’s one-stop-shop is one way to fill this gap.

Ighor provides insights into the many pieces of the heat transition puzzle. He and his team have quite a different approach to some other municipalities: they do not only look at heat mapping as such, but are very much focused on the people – on everyone who will be affected and who will need to take action – from municipal employees to municipal buildings.

The Covenant of Mayors’ Cities Heat Detox campaign empowers cities and towns to shift away from toxic heat sources, building healthier, more resilient communities. The campaign brings together over 50 cities who are leading the way. Find inspiration for your city’s heat detox at the Covenant of Mayors’ website: www.eumayors.eu.