Have you watched “The Day After Tomorrow”? If not, please stop reading and do it. 

Two hours later…

For those who did not have the time, this disaster piece shows how climate change sets off a series of events that send massive superstorms across the Earth, destroying life as we know it. 

Now you know what future holds for us if we do not get involved in the climate change fight. We all know climate change is causing big scale issues already but somehow it seems so far from our busy daily lives that we do not really have even the time to think about it.
Not only we have to solve problems at work, at home, at school, plus family, kids and another one million “lower” priority tasks to be done, but we also need to fight for the…climate?? Sounds close to impossible and many people just blame it on the others – “it’s the factories that pollute”, “it’s the overconsumption of the population”, “it’s this and that country that do not respect the rules”… Most importantly, we cannot help even though we want because the “others” need to take action.

Ok, enough! That is simply not true.

Surveys show that the majority of the people are ready for a change but action and readiness are two very different things. For example, according to the European investment bank (EIB), the majority of people in Luxembourg (70%) would support — similar to other Europeans (69%) — the introduction of a tax on products and services that contribute most to global warming. Even among respondents with lower incomes, 71% would be in favour of such a tax in Luxembourg. People in Luxembourg are also in favour of a 5-year minimum warranty on any electric or electronic product (94%) and replacing short-distance flights with fast, low-emission trains (92%). They also favour softer measures like strengthening education and increasing youth awareness of sustainable consumption (95%).

Governments and organisations massively invest into the brighter future and we, at LCL, believe that we cannot lag behind and just sit on the couch watching disaster movies. We believe that everyone must take action no matter how small the impact may be. On a larger scale, this small impact actually contributes to a big change.

Everyone can start with something small, for example – cutting consumption and minimizing waste. Recycle – it is not that hard! In some EU countries, it is a routine, but others are so much lagging behind in this respect. Invest your money responsibly – banks, pension funds and big corporates often hold investments in fossil fuel companies. However, the discussion around responsible investment – weighing up environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and taking them into consideration when investing money – is growing. Respect and protect the green spaces. Green spaces, such as parks and gardens, are important. They absorb carbon dioxide and are associated with lower levels of air pollution. 

LCL is active in the non-profit sector in Luxembourg and across Europe. We are actively working together with our network of partners towards our top priority goals, one of which is the decarbonisation. We contribute to mitigating the adverse effects of the climate change in many ways. If you feel interested in our current and future projects, please check out our website and stay tuned on our social media pages.