Luxembourg hones in on carbon targets

Luxembourg has adopted new annual greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2030 for five sectors, the government announced in a press release on Thursday.

The objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at national level by 55% by 2030 compared to the level in 2005 for five sectors: energy and manufacturing industries, construction, transport, residential and tertiary buildings, agriculture and forestry, waste and sewage treatment. "All sectors will be called upon to contribute to the transition to a low-emission society," the press release read.

While emissions will have to decrease regularly and continuously, the government has to take into account the potential of each sector for reducing them and the social, economic and budgetary impact, the press release said.

Luxembourg's parliament last year adopted a law to reduce emissions by 55% compared to 2005 levels by 2030, and for the economy to be fully compliant with so-called climate neutrality principles.

Emissions covered by the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme are excluded from the targets, the government said. The trading system applies to large industrial facilities with a total rated thermal input exceeding 20 megawatts and to flights within the European Economic Area (EEA). In Luxembourg, this amounts to 20 industrial facilities as well as aviation.

The centrepiece of the EU’s sustainability plan is to expand the Emissions Trading Scheme, a system that makes companies pay for the cost of polluting. Brussels wants to include emissions from the car industry and from heating buildings to accelerate the pace of decarbonisation.