COP30 in Brazil: Luxembourg NGOs Urge the EU to Arrive “With Real Ambition”

As the world prepares for the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, Luxembourg’s environmental organizations are urging the European Union and the Grand Duchy to show real commitment and arrive with clear, ambitious climate goals.

More than a month late, the European Union is finally expected to present its climate roadmap today. The 27 Member States were supposed to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — their national plans for emission reduction — to the United Nations before the end of September. However, internal disagreements over strategy delayed the process. With the conference set to begin on November 10, Luxembourg’s environmental coalition “Votum Klima,” which unites fifteen NGOs, held a press conference to outline their expectations. “We’re asking that Luxembourg and the EU arrive at the COP with ambition,” said Altynaï Bidaubayle of Greenpeace Luxembourg.

One of the group’s key demands is to stay firmly on the 1.5°C pathway established by the Paris Agreement ten years ago. “COP30 has to be a turning point,” Bidaubayle added, emphasizing that current policies remain insufficient. Although some scientists have said that keeping global warming to 1.5°C is no longer achievable, activists insist that every fraction of a degree matters. “Every tenth of a degree counts,” said Esmeralda Wirtz of Amnesty International Luxembourg. “At 1.5°C, one billion people face extreme heatwaves every five years — at 2°C, that number rises to 2.7 billion.”

Greenpeace also reminded policymakers that the International Court of Justice considers compliance with the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C target a legal obligation. According to them, Luxembourg therefore has a historic responsibility to stay the course.

Despite its image as a climate-conscious country, Luxembourg’s own efforts have come under criticism. “Minister Serge Wilmes often mentions that we’re putting €320 million into the climate by 2030, but that’s only a tenth of what we should be investing,” said Raymond Klein of the NGO ASTM, estimating that Luxembourg should be contributing closer to €600 million per year.

The NGOs also expressed concern over Prime Minister Luc Frieden’s support for the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which they believe threatens the Amazon rainforest and indigenous peoples. “These agreements destroy forests, pollute water and violate indigenous rights,” said Wirtz. “They push development at the cost of human lives and ecosystems.”

The “Votum Klima” platform also highlighted the lack of dialogue between civil society and the government. Although they sent their advocacy document to Environment Minister Serge Wilmes and other officials, they say there has been little response. “Luxembourg could be far more proactive in listening to what civil society says,” the collective remarked.

To raise public awareness, the NGOs will organize several events in Luxembourg ahead of COP30, from November 5 to 10. The program includes a webinar, a film screening, a sound and light show, an open stage, online campaigns, a debriefing of the conference, and a torchlight march in Luxembourg City.

As global leaders prepare to meet in Brazil, Luxembourg’s environmental community is sending a clear message: climate ambition must move from promises to action, and the time to act decisively is now.
Read More : COP 30 in Brazil: "May Luxembourg and the European Union arrive with ambition" | The Daily

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