Vision
Groen is so much more than green. Groen means feeling good about yourself, being able to do good for the planet and being good to each other. The three are inseparable to us. They are therefore also the spearheads in our new, colourful story.
Good for the planet
Imagine you just planted a tree at home. Beautiful, good for the animals and more shade for the coming heat wave. But you also hear that the beautiful avenue of trees in the area is being cut down. Sigh. You often take the train to work. But the bus to... Read more
Imagine you just planted a tree at home. Beautiful, good for the animals and more shade for the coming heat wave. But you also hear that the beautiful avenue of trees in the area is being cut down. Sigh. You often take the train to work. But the bus to the station is always just too late to catch your transfer. So, then end up leaving an hour earlier. You want to go on holiday sustainably. But you can't afford the train ticket... however, you can afford the plane ticket. You do your part for the climate and the environment, but bump into hurdle after hurdle, annoyance after annoyance. Recognisable?
How you travel and how much it costs, what your environment looks like and whether you can have a say in that, all of that is political. We want to ensure that the ecological choice is also the easiest and cheapest. No more stalling and half measures. Time for courageous politics that does what is necessary.
For example, you choose public transport because it is faster, more comfortable and cheaper. There will be more buses and trams, which also run regularly. You know that you will catch the train, because it runs on time and several times an hour. On holiday in Europe? Even then you can easily choose the train: affordable and easy to book. A healthy bike ride to school? That is possible, because there are safe cycle paths everywhere.
We don't cut down our forests, we expand them. In this way we protect ourselves against heat and dirty air. They are healthy for our environment and a home for the animals. Drought and floods also don't stand a chance. We restore our swamps and make our cities and municipalities greener again. When you step outside at home, you are in a pleasant street, with trees and green squares. A street where your children can also enjoy playing outside.
Heating your house, cooking, binging series? It all happens with renewable energy. We are strengthening our offshore wind and working on green hydrogen. We install solar panels on every government building and ensure that everyone can benefit from the benefits of green energy.
We ensure clean seas and rivers. Disposable plastics are a thing of the past and chemical pollution is no longer allowed. Repairing and reusing will be the norm of our economy. In this way we also create tens of thousands of sustainable jobs. Belgium is full of people with strong ideas to tackle the climate crisis. Our companies are bursting with experience to implement them. What are we waiting for to fully play all that out?
A world in which we can feel good: that's what we're aiming for. All together. Because a healthy planet benefits everyone.
Good for each other
The world isn't fair. Do you sometimes have that feeling? The gap between rich and poor is widening and those least responsible for the climate crisis bear the brunt of it. People end up in poverty faster and it's damn hard to get out of it. With limited resources you... Read more
The world isn't fair. Do you sometimes have that feeling? The gap between rich and poor is widening and those least responsible for the climate crisis bear the brunt of it.
People end up in poverty faster and it's damn hard to get out of it. With limited resources you do your best every day to build a dignified existence, but you keep bumping into hurdles and red tape. It often starts at birth. Growing up in poverty as a child is like starting a race metres behind the others. Overtaking is difficult and the consequences will last a lifetime. We want to break that circle.
That is why we ensure a decent income for everyone. No more cold, dark rooms due to the high energy bill. No empty kitchen cupboard. We provide a warm home for everyone, because housing is a basic right. And when it comes to climate change, we make sure that everyone is on board. We also provide affordable and good education. Free meals at school, so that no child goes to class hungry. Can you grow up like this? Then you can seize all the opportunities that life has to offer.
And those opportunities to flourish must be available to everyone. No one judges you by the name on your resume. No one is surprised when you enter the application in your wheelchair. No one asks about your origin, your orientation or your desire to have children. Your talent counts, your knowledge and skills. You can be who you are and love to see who you want. You choose what to wear and decide about your own body. You deserve equal pay for equal work. This is how we equalise the starting grid, step by step.
All this sounds expensive. Yet the solution is clear: everyone contributes fairly. The largest wealth and multinationals are now paying too little. We remove loopholes and ensure that everyone contributes. That's how we all move forward.
A society in which we are good to each other feels good to everyone.
Good in your own skin
Hey, it's okay not to be okay all the time. Admitting something like that can be very difficult. Nevertheless, it applies to everyone: no one is in top shape all the time. Groen wants everyone to have every opportunity to live a healthy and happy life. Because that's what we... Read more
Hey, it's okay not to be okay all the time.
Admitting something like that can be very difficult. Nevertheless, it applies to everyone: no one is in top shape all the time. Groen wants everyone to have every opportunity to live a healthy and happy life. Because that's what we do it all for, right?
Good and affordable care will thus become a basic right for everyone. Do you have a broken leg or a psychological problem? In both cases you deserve fast and affordable help. Do you need a general practitioner, a dentist or a psychologist? You can go everywhere without delay. You don't have to be on a waiting list for months or pay sky-high bills.
And prevention really is better than cure. So investing in that is important. How? We make healthy living easy and logical. We provide more nature in your neighbourhood. You can relax in it and enjoy clean air. You should not inhale pollutants. Fruit and vegetables are getting cheaper. We provide more and safer cycling and walking paths so that you can move around safely and with gusto. The less we get sick, the better. For ourselves and for our wallet.
The well-being and development of our children are also paramount. After all, they are our future. In affordable schools with green playgrounds and a great group of motivated teachers, all children can fulfil all their dreams. We provide reliable and warm childcare in the neighbourhood for the little ones. We provide more chaperones, so that every child receives the care it deserves.
And when you grow up, you deserve a healthy career and enough leave to care. That way, we automatically reduce burnouts. Even after your career, society will not let you down. You will receive a fair pension. Even if you worked part-time to take care of someone or because you were sick yourself. The elderly continue to live at home as long as possible with all the necessary help. Is that no longer possible? Then there is an affordable and nice residential care home nearby. You deserve care, dignity and respect at every stage of your life. And the people who make that happen - professionally or as carers - deserve sufficient time and a wage according to their value.
Groen focuses on well-being and doing better, rather than growth and always more. Feeling good about yourself: that will be the measure of happiness. Not the points of the stock market or the billions in profits of a few multinationals.