The federal authorities are legally entrusted with the development of a long-term federal strategic vision for sustainable development (horizon 2050).
This strategy of the federal state encompasses:
• policy objectives for 2050;
• intermediate 10-year targets;
• and indicators to monitor the attainment of these objectives.
These objectives and indicators should especially address the commitments made by Belgium at international and European levels.
Each stakeholder in the Act of 5 May 1997 on the Coordination of Federal Sustainable Development Policy has contributed to the development of this long-term vision. This includes the Interdepartmental Commission for Sustainable Development (CIDD-ICDO), the Federal Council for Sustainable Development (CFDD-FRDO) and the Sustainable Development Task Force of the Planning Bureau (TFSD). Many experts from all federal public services, including public planning services, were involved in this process. Civil society and Parliament were also consulted before arriving at the text.
The long-term strategic vision for sustainable development of the Federal State was approved by the Government on the 17th of May 2013. A brochure presents this strategic document to the public.
The proposed objectives should lead Belgium to the desired situation in terms of sustainable development by 2050. 56 objectives are grouped under four main themes:
• a society that nurtures social cohesion (health, social cohesion and the fight against poverty, employment);
• a society that adapts its economy to the economic, social and environmental challenges (consumption and production modes, food, energy, mobility and transport);
• a society that protects its environment (climate changes, natural resources, indoor and outdoor air, biodiversity);
• a society supported by the federal authority that assumes its societal responsibility (government, public finance, science policy, development cooperation).
For each objective, one or more monitoring indicators are proposed and defined. Either they already exist, or they are developed. The indicators are directly related to the objective or they may partially describe the desired state.
The Federal sustainable development plans are prepared every 5 years, and are instruments that include concrete, federal measures and actions to achieve the objectives of this strategic vision and thus move closer to the desired state for 2050.