The Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development is working towards achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Marguy Kohnen, an Advisor working at the Ministry shares her insights on the stakeholders working towards these goals, the hurdles Luxembourg needs to overcome and the sectors of the future.
You work for the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and are engaged in the preparation of a national plan for Sustainable Development. What are some of the goals of this plan and how does the Ministry hope to achieve them?
The current (and third) National Plan for Sustainable Development (NPSD), which was adopted by the Government in 2019, represents Luxembourg’s roadmap to achieve its objectives for 2030. Based on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Plan includes ten “priority areas for action” reaching from social, economic, financial and health-related questions, over mobility and land use, to natural resources and climate action.
It is important to mention that the plan was elaborated in a participatory manner including different stakeholder from the public and private sectors, civil society as well as academia, who will all contribute to its implementation. In doing so, we as the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development are in charge of coordinating these efforts and making sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction and sticking to their commitments.
The national plan for Sustainable Development is Luxembourg’s main instrument for implementing the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Which SDGs is Luxembourg most focused on and why?
When it comes to the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, it is important to keep in mind that its seventeen goals form an interconnected whole. This means that the SDGs must not be considered separately one from another and that they will have to be realized in their entirety in order for the Agenda to succeed. It is hence difficult to make a clear prioritization among the SDGs.
When we look at the main challenges Luxembourg is facing, namely in the realms of housing, social inclusion/cohesion, education, pressure on natural resources, CO2 emissions, to name a few, it is clear that special attention is given to SDGs 1 (no poverty), 4 (education), 10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (responsible consumption and production), 13 (climate action) and 15 (life on land).
“We need to be aware that digitalization does not mean dematerialization.”
Marguy Kohnen, Advisor at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development
One of Luxembourg’s priorities is “diversifying and ensuring an inclusive and forward-looking economy”. Which economic activities in particular are in need of being diversified?
The debate on the future development of the country calls for more qualitative and more inclusive economic growth, requiring an intelligent economy, with high added value, consuming fewer resources and providing quality jobs that ensure a decent life for all in the future. There is a need to commit to a systemic approach towards economic development.
The process of the 3rd industrial revolution, in which all levels of society have been mobilized and which is in some sectors is being implemented, has shown the way forward. Clear legal frameworks for the economy have to be developed both for the digitalization of the economy and for the development of the sharing economy.
As we have seen in the development of sustainable finance by the Luxembourg financial sector, if there is a framework – respecting ecological and social standards – progress will be made.
We need to be aware that digitalization does not mean dematerialization. The protection of personal data has obviously to be respected. At the same time, strengthening the links between businesses and research is essential to support innovation and employment in the sectors of the future.
This article was first published in the Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Read the full digital version of the magazine on our website, here. You can also choose to receive a hard copy at the office or at home. Subscribe now.
