Xavier Turquin has taken the helm as the new director of Greenpeace Luxembourg, aiming to push for environmental responsibility in Luxembourg's financial sector and drive societal change towards sustainability.

Xavier Turquin has taken over as the new director of Greenpeace Luxembourg as of 16 September, succeeding Raymond Aendekerk. 48-year-old Turquin now leads the organisation's office in Luxembourg, collaborating closely with Greenpeace France.

Turquin's professional background is in finance, having spent much of his career in banking and audit firms as a programme leader and project manager. However, following a burnout during the Covid pandemic, the father of four realised his career no longer aligned with his values, according to a respective press release. He thus pivoted and founded a company focused on corporate impact, aiming to raise awareness among businesses for more responsible and sustainable economic models.

Turquin sees a clear mission for Greenpeace Luxembourg: "Raising awareness of the importance of the environment within the Luxembourg system, a small country with a strong economy, and driving societal change toward a safer and more just world." He further emphasises that, like the laws of physics, ecology is "non-negotiable" and cannot be ignored.

His vision therefore includes creating a “welfare GDP” and ending the competition between nations. Greenpeace Luxembourg is meanwhile committed to maintain its independence from "institutions of power".

Under Turquin's leadership, Greenpeace Luxembourg will particularly focus on urging Luxembourg's financial sector to "take responsibility in the climate crisis". The organisation pledges to maintain its stance on highlighting harmful investment practices that contribute to biodiversity loss and to also warn of the "dangers of nuclear energy in an energy-hungry world".

Jean-François Julliard, Director of Greenpeace France, welcomes Turquin's appointment: "His knowledge of Luxembourg's civil society and the financial sector's impact on climate and ecosystems will be beneficial in advancing our organisation's mission. On behalf of Greenpeace, I wish him great success in his new role", Julliard said.