What is the Luxembourg National Report on Sustainable Development?
Prepared by the Interdepartmental Commission for Sustainable Development (CIDD), the national report, which was presented at the beginning of 2025, is based on the priorities defined in the 3rd National Plan for Sustainable Development and provides an exhaustive overview of the multitude of actions undertaken at government level to achieve the objectives set by the 2030 Agenda.
The initiatives are completed by detailed explanations of trends in the indicators monitored by STATEC (the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), as well as more specific recommendations for making progress on sustainability between now and 2030.
What are the main take-aways from the Report?
The report is based on 112 indicators to assess progress on each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. To make these complex results easier to read, a visual summary method has been developed in the form of a star chart:
In this chart, the goals that are progressing towards sustainability are located beyond the red circle. If the value is inside the same circle, the objective is moving away from sustainable development.
Thus, the indicators adopted by the country to measure its progress towards achieving the SDGs show progress towards greater sustainability in 70% of the goals studied.
SDG 7: Luxembourg has made significant progress towards energy-related SDG 7. Energy intensity has been improving steadily since 2004, and the share of renewable energies in total energy consumption is growing exponentially.
SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production is also showing clear improvement. The green and circular economy is developing in Luxembourg, with a sharp increase in the production of sustainable goods and services, notably through the construction of passive buildings. The treatment of municipal waste by recycling, composting and energy recovery is steadily increasing, reaching a rate of 93.9% by 2021.
SDG 13: As far as measures to combat climate change are concerned, Luxembourg is implementing two complementary approaches within the framework of SDG 13: mitigation and adaptation.
Mitigation aims to reduce the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which will be 32.4% lower in 2021 than in 2005, a record year for the country. Emissions from sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme are also following a favorable trend, with a 22.6% reduction since 2005.
For some SDGs, such as SDG 1 on poverty and SDG 6 on water and sanitation, which show less favorable long-term trends, it is interesting to note that on a short-term assessment (over the last five years), progress has been made.
What are the recommendations for accelerating progress?
To make faster progress over the remaining five years to 2030, the report proposes several measures, including the following:
Application of the ‘Sustainability Check’:
This is an instrument of good governance and support for sustainable development, which provides for a prior analysis of the sustainability of legislation. Its consistent use will help to strengthen policy coherence and improve coordination of the subject within the legislative framework.
More information on the ‘Sustainability Check’ can be found here (available in French).
Supporting and promoting local authorities:
Local authorities are key players in sustainable development. Through their commitment to initiatives such as the Climate, Nature and Housing Pacts and the Citizens' Pact for Intercultural Coexistence, they make a direct contribution to the implementation of the SDGs on the ground.
Supporting businesses:
The transition to greater sustainability requires greater support for businesses, particularly in terms of decarbonization and innovation. Their participation is essential to achieve the objectives set for the period up to 2030 - each within the limits of their means.
Drawing up a roadmap:
The establishment of a roadmap for sustainable development would bring together several areas and policies under common "entry points" (a sustainable and resilient economy, a happy society, a just transition) to facilitate progress towards national priorities and the 2030 Agenda SDGs.
The report is available in French Report