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Mayor De Clercq is dedicated to making Ghent much greener
Mathias De Clercq is a Belgian politician who is currently serving as the mayor of Ghent since the 2018 elections.
His great ambition is to make the city climate neutral by 2050, and because of mayor De Clercq, the Belgian city is already on the right path towards making this wish come true.
Ghent is located at the very confluence of the river Lys into the Scheldt, which is why the water might be the most important patrimony of the city. Not only do the waterways in the city center boast a historic, tourist, and economic significance for Ghent, but also the Port of Ghent bears an important contribution. Besides the port, Ghent is widely famous for its university and culture.
Mayor De Clercq is working hard on Ghent’s green transition and is accomplishing his green ideas with the start of many projects in favour of the city’s environment. One of those projects is at the old docks site where three large neighborhood parks and six smaller residential green zones are planned to be built. Another one is opening up waterways and adding more greenery in the city. This project ensures that water can enter the soil and offer more cooling. Also, the urban heat island effect is reduced at times of extreme heat.
Mathias De Clercq also focuses on the urban renewal project and the adoption of an overall sustainable lifestyle in the city of Ghent.
Mayor of Ghent is also tackling climate change by applying principles from the circular economy. The European Green Deal stays at the top of his political agendas.
