Luxembourg’s 'Green Events' Project to Adapt Subsidy System

On Monday 22 July 2024, Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity announced that its “Green Events” project will be reviewed and will have its subsidy system adapted.

The "Green Events" project was launched on 18 September 2019 during a press conference. The project aims to reduce the ecological footprint of events organised in Luxembourg and therefore to promote eco-responsible events by informing, raising awareness and supporting event organisers.

Beyond a reduction in the environmental impact of events, the results of the last five years reportedly showed that the project has had a lasting structural impact, going beyond the framework of one-off events. Thus, increasingly visible impacts have been observed at the levels of:

• municipalities having integrated the "Green Events" principles into their ecological charters, their municipal regulations or even their strategic vision;
• providers who have modified their offers to meet the "Green Events" criteria (e.g. green offer of certain caterers, food trucks and dealers, increase in the offer of reusable plastic tableware for rent);
• infrastructure that facilitates reuse (washing facilities, 'Spullweenchen' or dish-washing stations, provision of reusable containers by municipalities, offer of rental of reusable tableware for rent).

Since the launch of the initiative, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 369 events have obtained the "Green Events" logo. In addition, 566 events have been individually supported by the Oekozenter Pafendall and/or the SuperDrecksKëscht. This year, between January and June alone, 226 events benefitted from this service. During these individual support sessions, the advisors review the 58 criteria of the checklist with the organisers, answer their specific questions, and support them in finding concrete solutions to their specific situations.

In total, more than 430,500 people attended a "Green Events" or "Mir engagéieren eis" event.

To develop the project and strengthen its impact, the advisory activities will be maintained to meet the demand of the sector and to accentuate the multiplier effect of the project.

In this approach, the ministry noted that the documentation of "good practices" carried out within the framework of "Green Events" will be strengthened.

From 1 October 2024, each association will only be able to benefit once from the basic subsidy of €1,500 for obtaining the "Green Events" logo. This adaptation aims to rationalise the allocation of funds to allow as many associations as possible to benefit from this aid scheme.

As of the same date, the additional subsidy corresponding to 25% of the costs incurred for the implementation of certain optional criteria (capped at €1,000) will be eliminated. Only the basic subsidy of €1,500 will remain available to organisers. The subsidy scheme will end in 2028.