Natural parks that combine environmental protection and the economy
The Grand Duchy has 3 nature parks. These areas, which include Natura 2000 zones, aim to reconcile the preservation of landscapes and natural environments with economic activity. They represent around 33% of the territory in surface area and 10% of the population.
Our Nature Park located on the north-eastern edge of the country, bordering Belgium and Germany, it is part of the Luxembourg Ardennes (Eislék). It features a variety of rural landscapes, combining farmland and forests, in valleys and plateaus.
Haute-Sûre Nature Park located in the north-west of the country, also in the Luxembourg Ardennes, it protects narrow valleys and hills. It is also home to a reservoir lake, one of the country's main drinking water supplies, as well as a recreational area for nature activities.
Mëllerdall Nature Park and Geopark mëllerdall Nature Park and Geopark: located in the east of the country, this nature park protects remarkable landscapes shaped by geology, notably the majestic Luxembourg sandstone. Water is very present in the area (Mëllerdall means millers' valley). The park's rich natural and cultural heritage can be enjoyed through a wide range of activities and hiking trails.
A fourth nature park is in the pipeline. This is the Tri-Border Park ("Dräilännereck"), which borders France (Lorraine) and Germany (Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate).
One of the world's largest ecological footprints
According to the NGO Global Footprint Network, Luxembourg is one of the countries with the largest ecological footprint, i.e. whose consumption exceeds the planet's capacity by a wide margin. The country's main areas of consumption are transport (which leads to the consumption of fossil fuels, which emit high levels of greenhouse gases). Measures have been taken to develop alternative forms of mobility.
Towards low carbon mobility
Since March1, 2020, all national public transport - bus, streetcar and train - has been free in the country and for all travelers, a world first. While this measure is intended to be "social", to ease the burden on low-income households, it is also designed to encourage a modal shift from the car to public transport. The Grand Duchy is still heavily reliant on the car, and needs to make up for lost time in terms of rail infrastructure, park-and-ride facilities and so on. Free transport is accompanied by a financing plan designed to improve facilities. It marks the end of the model put in place in the second half of the 20th century, which saw the development of a dense motorway network, and its corollary, the regression of the secondary rail network. Efforts are also being made to encourage active mobility, including cycling.
Reconciling finance and ecology
In 2017, the NGO Oxfam ranked Luxembourg (whose banking sector accounted for almost 30% of GDP) as one of the "most aggressive tax havens used by corporations". A study conducted by the Stockholm Resilience Center and published in Nature magazine in 2018 highlighted the environmental impact of financial flows through tax havens (deforestation and overfishing). With this in mind, it would seem appropriate to question and account for the environmental impacts of finance.
