On 10 February, the Higher Council for Sustainable Development (CSDD) presented some key findings regarding Luxembourg’s ecological footprint.
Reaching its Earth Overshoot Day already in mid-February, Luxembourg is far and away the European leader in terms of overconsumption of resources. To get to the bottom of these findings, the CSDD commissioned LIST to examine certain elements of the methodology applied and suggest some ways in which Luxembourg can reduce its ecological footprint.
The CSDD’s report aims to put Luxembourg on the right path to becoming an example of the ecological transition and a responsible society. Its manifesto, “One Planet Luxembourg: Eng Ärd, eng Politik, eng Gesellschaft”, reflects these ambitions.
Currently, Luxembourg’s population has an ecological footprint of 6.88 planets, which is higher than any country but Qatar. This implies that if every country consumed natural resources at the same rate as Luxembourg, one would require 6.88 planets for the resources to be regenerated naturally.
In an effort to get a more accurate picture, LIST has re-evaluated the Global Footprint Network’s (GFN) methodology and arrived at the conclusion that while Luxembourg’s footprint is slightly better than initially concluded by the GFN, the duchy is still a long way off reaching its goals.
On a positive note, LIST’s research has allowed them to create a more precise model that can also be used as a tool by policymakers, industry and citizens. The additional coherence and transparency gained through LIST’s work have allowed the CSDD to assess the country’s consumption and waste production into seven major areas.
For each of these seven areas, the CSDD has developed recommendations on how to lower its consumption. These include a comprehensive economic, social and political transformation process that aims to reduce the negative impacts of human activities and develop more sustainable lifestyles. Furthermore, they emphasise a transition to a more circular economy with more sharing of resources.
The role of businesses in enabling this shift is also not neglected. However, to reduce consumption more sustainable business models need to be embraced and greater innovation will be needed.
While Luxembourg is still lagging behind in many ways when it comes to sustainable development, reports such as the CSDD’s and Luxinnovation’s recent mapping of the sustainability enablers of Luxembourg are promising signs of a turn of the tide.
