Serge Wilmes: "The outcome of the climate summit is hard to predict"

Ahead of the COP30 climate summit to be held in 2025, Luxembourg is asserting itself more confidently than ever. In an interview with the Luxembourg Times, the Minister of Environment and Climate, Serge Wilmes, confirmed: the country will open a national pavilion for the first time to emphasise its engagement and showcase its climate policy initiatives.

Luxembourg previously shared the pavilion with Benelux and the European Investment Bank, but this co-operation will now be limited to office space only.

At COP29 in Baku, Luxembourg was one of the few countries to announce a significant increase in international climate finance: from €220 million (2021-2025) to €320 million (2026-2030). However, Wilmes emphasised that these funds will not only be used for climate change mitigation, but also for adaptation - especially under the new Climate Nexus investment platform, which is scheduled to be launched in early 2026.

One of the key elements of this approach is the Rio Changemakers initiative, which will be formally launched at COP30. It should connect funds, projects and investors, especially in the field of nature-based solutions, including those outside Europe.

Commenting on the EU's goal of reducing emissions by 90% by 2040, Wilmes confirmed that Luxembourg supports it. However, he criticised the inclusion of the possibility of using international carbon credits (up to 5% of the total), emphasising: "We believe that this target is achievable by means available within the EU. We did not support the use of external credits.

Regarding the 2035 target, Luxembourg is dissatisfied that it is presented as a range (66.25%-72.5%). According to the Minister, only the upper threshold - 72.5% - is realistic and in line with climate logic, as it corresponds to a linear trajectory between the 2030 and 2040 targets.

Wilmes explained that the long pause in agreeing the EU's position was due to differences in the economies and geography of member states. The turning point came at the European Council summit on 23 October 2025, where leaders agreed on a common framework. This allowed the final legally binding targets, including the EU NDC for 2035, to be adopted on 4 November.

Despite its high per capita emissions, Luxembourg is on track to meet its emission reduction targets for the fifth consecutive year, according to the minister, with a 33% reduction compared to 2005. An updated National Climate and Energy Strategy (PNEC) was published in July 2024, with more than 200 specific measures across all sectors, from construction and industry to transport.

Wilmes is realistic about the political context: "Decisions are made by consensus, and it's not easy." Nevertheless, he hopes that COP30 will send a clear political signal about the need to align countries' policies with their NDCs and to increase ambition to achieve the goal of countering global warming. As a reminder, the allowable increase in global temperature is 1.5°C.