According to Chamber of Deputies speaker, Fernand Etgen (DP), there is indeed a link between environmental degradation, climate change and the appearance of new diseases such as covid-19. Etgen made this clear on Wednesday, during his intervention as part of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

"Everything must be done to prevent such health and ecological disasters in the future," Etgen told his counterparts. He said it is essential to seize the opportunity presented by the exit from the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the transition, by focusing on ecological innovation and sustainable investments. And the European Green Deal, if implemented consistently, is one of the main instruments that can help this, according to Etgen.

Global solutions

The meeting of more than 250 speakers of parliaments from 193 countries was also an opportunity to discuss the importance of multilateralism in providing an effective response to the environmental and climate crisis. "Parliamentarians have an important part to play by proposing comprehensive and sustainable solutions to global challenges such as the climate emergency,” said Etgen.

At the Luxembourg level, the integrated national energy and climate plan, adopted by cabinet last May, will be the “roadmap” to achieve the objectives that the country has set itself for 2030: a reduction of 55% in greenhouse gas emissions, to ensure 25% of energy supply is met from renewable sources, and to increase energy efficiency by between 40 and 44%.

This article was originally published in French on Paperjam.lu and has been translated and edited for Delano.