The session revolved around a central question: What did the 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, actually achieve, and does the outcome justify the considerable political and financial effort invested?
MP and former Economy Minister Franz Fayot of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) argued that the conference had effectively abandoned the Paris Agreement objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. While he praised Environment Minister Serge Wilmes for his commitment during the summit, he accused the government of simultaneously supporting EU-level initiatives that, in his view, undermine climate action.
Fayot criticised the government for backing the European Commission’s Omnibus packages, which, he argued, weaken key pieces of environmental legislation. According to his assessment, such measures threaten to dilute rules on supply chains, corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD), and the EU’s deforestation regulation, all of which are designed to hold companies to higher environmental and human rights standards.
In response, Serge Wilmes rejected the accusation of inconsistency and maintained that the 1.5°C target can still be achieved. He insisted that Luxembourg remains firmly committed to preventing deforestation worldwide, but stressed that businesses should not be burdened with unnecessary administrative hurdles when new regulations are implemented. Wilmes pointed to the EU’s deforestation directive (EUDR) as an example: he said the government supports its objectives but also wants the rules applied in a way that avoids excessive bureaucracy, particularly in countries like Luxembourg where existing legislation already prevents deforestation.
Looking back at the global negotiations, Wilmes said that the COP system is imperfect but remains essential. He added that the EU had perhaps shown “a degree of naivety” this time by settling on a common negotiating position too late and then trying, unsuccessfully, to persuade other countries to follow its lead. He also noted that the absence of strong backing from the United States was felt throughout the summit.
