Dear listeners,
Whether you are sitting in your car, listening to the radio at home or at work: climate change and its consequences are a reality that affects us all.
This not just in a hypothetical context, but very much so in our lives, in our behaviour, and in our habits.
Be it how we travel, how we live or how we work – climate change obliges us to rethink the functioning of our society.
That is no small task.
It is a huge challenge, and everyone must play their part in order for us to achieve our goals together.
That is also why it’s important to us as a Democratic Party that everyone gets an opportunity to have their say.
If climate policy is to be viable and successful, the discussions around it must take place together with the citizens.
The climate issue is an issue of our society. Only when working together can we move forward and solve fundamental problems. And this is why climate policy should also be based on the broadest possible social consensus.
Hence why Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, in his speech on the state of the nation, called for a Citizens’ Climate Council. On January 5th, he presented the details of this unique project.
So what is it about?
The government has made great efforts in the past and set itself ambitious targets to stop climate change.
It’s a fact however, that more could be done. Maybe even has to be – because the clock is ticking and we are running out of time.
The Citizens’ Climate Council therefore has the mission to discuss measures and objectives that go beyond the Climate and Energy Plan and the current measures.
It’s a historical project that has not yet existed in Luxembourg in that form.
100 people will be cast, 60 effective members and 40 deputies – men and women, young people from the age of 16 and older people as well, Luxembourgers and non-Luxembourgers,… from all corners of the country, and who represent the mirror of our society, to discuss the climate situation, climate policies and all of the consequences in this country.
And this is also a very important and decisive factor: it is not a body of politicians or a working group that defines politics, but it is a group of 100 people, selected from across our society, and who sit down together and discuss positions in workshops and working meetings to work on various options and positions for the future.
They are of course supported by experts from different fields, to be able to work and discuss in the best knowledge on the subject.
It starts at the end of January, and by the summer viable proposals should be worked out in a whole series of discussion rounds.
These will then be debated in Parliament and be incorporated into the new climate and energy plan.
Everyone can take part in this exciting and important exercise, you can register online now on the TNS-Ilres webpage.
The project of the Citizens’ Climate Council is a very important project because it is forward-looking and because it directly involves the citizens in this important issue. Everyone is needed – because it is regarding the future of all of us. And therefore, I wish the 100 citizens intensive, interesting and productive 6 months already with many innovative and good ideas. I am already looking forward to the debate and the conclusions drawn in Parliament… for the future of us all!
