On Friday, 47 municipalities were honoured at the Climate Pact Day held at the Cercle in Luxembourg City. The event aims to accelerate the energy transition and strengthen climate protection – a goal that organisers say is now more important than ever.
The current energy crisis demonstrates the impact of dependence on fossil fuels, emphasised Fenn Faber, director of the Klimaagence. He stated that the objective is to move away from such reliance as quickly as possible, and that municipalities are playing a key role in this effort.
According to Faber, practically all municipalities are involved in the Climate Pact, although each one "goes at its own pace." In that sense, he argued, the Climate Pact has the advantage of allowing municipalities to set their own goals. "Given the current state of affairs, it is truly satisfying that the municipalities are making good headway and that they are all making progress according to their means," he said.
Among the 47 municipalities awarded, 15 reached the highest category. Alongside Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette – the two largest municipalities in the country – this group also includes slightly smaller municipalities such as Clervaux, Ell, Lintgen, Tandel, and Wiltz.
These 15 received international gold certification, which serves as a mark of exemplary commitment. Faber explained that the certification reflects "exceptional work" carried out across the board. He noted that the criteria are adjusted slightly every two years, meaning that if a municipality achieves certification today at 75%, that same level will not be sufficient in two years' time. As a result, municipalities must continuously improve. The certification also provides access to the highest subsidy rate to help co-finance future projects.
For the second time, a Solar Challenge was held in which municipalities could compete against one another. A total of 90 municipalities took part. Niederanven was among those that performed particularly well.
Prizes were also awarded to Colmar-Berg and Esch.
