Votum Klima, an association which groups together 23 NGOs in Luxembourg, has called for more ambitious climate objectives.
The climate association issued a statement on Wednesday in which it both expressed support for the national energy and climate plan (PNEC) proposal and called for the upward revision of certain goals.
In this statement, Votum Klima stressed that it "explicitly welcomes the ambitious objectives that the government has anchored in the PNEC in the fields of CO2 reduction, the expansion of renewable energies and the increase of energy efficiency". The association added that it will "ensure" that all Luxembourg's ministries, "according to their respective competences", take effective measures in line with this plan in the next months. Votum Klima thus requested that the government publish its implementation schedules, allocated resources and an estimate of expected effects as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, the association maintained that the government should also "review certain objectives and mechanisms of the PNEC, if Luxembourg really wants to convincingly reduce its currently devastating impact on the climate, and in the short time that remains to limit global warming to 1.5°C".
These include: reliable emission forecasts if the trend of economic growth continues. If necessary, the plan should be improved accordingly and the dogma of economic growth must be questioned; a climate protection law that establishes a clear legal framework for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which defines clear responsibilities, aligns actions in all policy areas with climate protection objectives, anchors sanctions and the possibility of legal actions and guarantees security of planning and investment for all; the introduction and legal anchoring of the climate report that accompanies each government decision; and binding and immediate measures for the ministries and sectors concerned in the event of non-compliance with their climate objectives.
Regarding CO2 emissions, the association suggested a reduction of national emissions rather than buying emission rights abroad, a concrete CO2 taxation strategy, planning for a continuous increase in this taxation over at least ten years and the introduction of a tax on kerosene, and the abandonment of the use of biofuels.
In terms of finance, the association called for the withdrawal of state and para-state investment funds from fossil and nuclear fuel investments and investments in climate-damaging substances. It added that in order for sustainable finance to redirect investments towards truly sustainable businesses, the introduction of comprehensive reporting requirements for all financial products would be required, particularly with regard to their impact on climate and biodiversity.
Votum Klima has also invited all citizens who want effective and efficient change to make their voices heard and to support an improved PNEC by sending an email to pnec@mev.etat.lu before 31 March 2020. A template email is available on the association's website at https://www.votumklima.lu/2020/03/19/votum-klima-soutient-la-proposition-de-pnec-et-demande-de-revoir-certaines-ambitions-a-la-hausse/.
