Luxembourg could achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while significantly reducing both energy consumption and costs, according to a new scenario presented by environmental organisation Citizens for Ecological Learning and Living (CELL).

The organisation recently unveiled its vision for Luxembourg's energy transition, which goes beyond expanding renewable energy to focus on using energy more consciously and efficiently.

According to CELL's calculations, Luxembourg could reduce its energy consumption by almost 70% by 2050 while virtually eliminating CO2 emissions. The organisation argues that renewable energy alone will not be enough: changes in consumption habits and a willingness to reduce energy use will also be essential.

Yves Marignac of negaWatt, the French think tank whose methodology underpins the scenario, said energy sufficiency could involve changes such as driving less and making greater use of public transport, cycling, and other forms of active mobility.

Sharing vehicles more widely could also play a role, he explained. But such changes do not depend on individual behaviour alone: public authorities must also create the right conditions to make different choices possible, Marignac said.

For CELL, this means combining more conscious and economical energy use with more energy-efficient buildings and further expansion of renewable energy.

Léonard Andersen of CELL said this approach would not only benefit the climate but could also lower energy bills and reduce Luxembourg's dependence on fossil fuels.

"What we are saying is that there is another lever we can use: energy sufficiency, which currently accounts for only around 10 to 15% of the measures in the National Energy and Climate Plan", Andersen said.

There was considerable scope to go further, he added, which could help reduce energy costs, ease exposure to geopolitical pressures, and leave households with greater financial flexibility.

CELL believes Luxembourg has significantly more potential than is currently envisaged in the country's National Energy and Climate Plan. Through its scenario, the organisation wants to demonstrate how the country could reach climate neutrality more quickly.

Andersen said that smarter spatial planning, particularly in areas such as transport and housing, could help optimise reductions in energy consumption and make climate neutrality achievable.

The proposals, he said, were intended as "elements for discussion and tools to go faster, further, and at lower cost".

The scenario is now expected to serve as a basis for further debate on Luxembourg's energy transition. Whether, and to what extent, its proposals will ultimately be incorporated into future climate policy remains to be seen.

Read the summary of CELL's scenario here (in French).