The 2019th edition of the Luxembourg Sustainability Forum is a landmark! 25 april 2019, on the initiative of IMS Luxembourg, many leaders and personalities were gathered at the official ceremony in order to claim together that is time to call a halt to single-use plastic.
An unprecedented dynamic
More than 50 organizations in the Grand Duchy are now mobilized around the Zero Single-use Plastic manifesto launched a few months ago at the initivative of IMS Luxembourg. This is an unprecedented commitment on this subject.
As a partner in the initivative, the Department of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development has made this environmental issue a priority. Marguy Kohnen, Counsellor at the Ministry, who came to represent Madam Minister Carole Dieschbourg, highly welcomed the extent of such a mobilization, enabling the preservation of resources and the fight against waste. « I welcome the mobilization of companies in their fight against waste. I congratulate them for taking responsibility and thank them for their support in one of the priorities of the Department of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development. Only together we can succeed in safeguarding our environment. »
Since the urgency to act is no longer to be proven. Already, 9 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s and ony 9% of the waste has been recycled. In Luxembourg, 3 tonnes of plastic waste is generated per hour. A proof that the commitment to which the companies engaged to collectively is more than welcome in the Grand Duchy.
Practical!
Anticipating and going beyond the European directive recently endorsed by the European Parliament, the organisations who signed the manifesto have a clear commitment : removing by the end of 2020 many single-use plastic objects such as cups, plates, cutlery, straws and mixing sticks, food containers, bottles, packages and wipes containaing plastic… A real and tangible impact expected since 121 tonnes are already covered by the manifesto (result of the first consolidated audit carried out by IMS).
Nancy Thomas, IMS Director points out :
Action is urgently needed, and many companies have understood the real power they have to make a difference. Today, the collective impulse is given and we know that change is underway within organizations that say stop to ultra-disposable plastic.
The ceremony took place as part of the Luxembourg Sustainability Forum 2019, which dedicated a large part of its programme to the fight against ultra-disposable plastic (educational and artistic exhibitions and expert interventions on alternative solutions). The event also featured high-profile personalities on topics as engaging as gender equality or reducing global warming.
Already a commitment of a reduction of 121 tonnes of plastic waste by 2020. This represents a distance of 1730km of plastic cups and represents the border distance of Luxembourg (359km)
3 tonnes of plastic waste generated in Luxembourg every hour
The 2019th edition of Luxembourg Sustainability Forum in short:
?35 speakers, more than 300 participants, 2 exhibitions
Subjects around 4 major issues :
- Single-Use Plastics : Choose to refuse
- Gender equality in business : Did you say stereotypes ?
- Time for Science-Based Action
- Overindebtedness : Luxembourg also concerned
Inspiring speakers including :
- Alejandro Duran, Mexican Plastic Eco-Artist based in New-York
- Raphaël Liogier, Philosopher and Sociologist
- Inès Dauvergne, Diversity and Inclusion Expert, Stereotyping Specialist
- Alexander Farsan, Global Head of Science-Based Target, WWF
- Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair, Task Force II, IPCC
