Learn more about the environmental impact of energy consumption, and what you can do about it in Luxemburg
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Energy & CO2
Energy is everywhere. We use it to heat our homes, cook our meals, light our rooms, it makes our electronic devices work, it lightens our streets... Whether it is electric, or produced from natural gas, wood, or petrol, the energy production is therefore a major source of greenhouse gases. In Europe, do you know which part it holds in our global greenhouse gases emissions?
Answer: About 35% !
It is the main source of greenhouse gases in Europe and in the world. More generally, here is a distribution of our CO2 emissions by source, in Europe (data 2020):
In Europe, the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas remains the primary source of energy we use, either directly at home, or to generate electricity. On this diagram, the energy section essentially represents the electricity production, and more generally all emissions related to the energy industry. In addition to this, a part of the 'Residential' section should be taken into account: in our houses, heating indeed represents about 70% of our carbon emissions.
Although the progress made on renewable energies and the important use of nuclear energy in the surrounding countries reduce the carbon footprint of energy in Luxemburg, it still remains the primary source of carbon emissions on the continent and in the country.
Making a change in our energy production and consumption is therefore essential for a transition to a decarbonated world!
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How can electricity be produced?
Many solutions exist to generate electricity, each of which has pros and cons. Which one has the lowest carbon footprint (by MWh produced)?
Answer: Nuclear energy !
In terms of CO2 emissions only, nuclear energy has the lowest carbon footprint, relative to a given amount of electricity produced. More generally, here is a comparison of the carbon footprint of each production method:
Renewable energy comes just next. The worst way to generate electricity, from a CO2 standpoint, is coal. It is nevertheless the cheapest and easiest of methods, and it is therefore the most often used method in the world!
Nuclear, natural gas and coal have the benefit of being capable of producing large amount of electricity, in a reliable and constant way. Their main drawbacks are the fear of a nuclear incident and nuclear waste for the nuclear energy, and the carbon footprint as well as geopolitical dependency for gas and coal.
Renewable energy certainly is the future, however it unfortunately is highly dependent on climatic conditions: wind, sun, rain... Today, no storage method can allow us to depend on it fully. However, green hydrogen could become a serious option to fullfill this task, high investments are underway to develop this industry.
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In Luxemburg, how is the electricity we use produced?
Luxemburg produces a bit of electricity on its soil, but imports most of it from its German, Belgian and French neighbours. In average, which is the primary source of production for the electricity we use in Luxemburg (local and imported)?
Answer: Renewable energy !
Based on recent data from the Statec (2019), renewable energy is the source of a majority of the electricity used in Luxemburg. Here is the general distribution for the year 2019:
The share of renewable energy has highly increased since the beginning of the 2010s: the share was only 21% in 2009! And the raise should continue, if the last objectives of the Government are reached.
In the Grand-Duchy, most of the renewable energy is produced from windfarms and hydroelectricty (dam at Esch-sur-Sure essentially).
However, electricity in Luxemburg still depends a lot on coal and gas (about 30% of fossil fuels), which places the country slightly better than the European average in terms of electricity carbon footprint. There's only one solution: progressively (and quickly!) reduce the share of coal and gas in our electricity mix! And obviously, reducing our own consumption is key, by shutting down the lights, unplugging unused devices, buying high-efficiency machines...
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In Luxemburg, how are our houses heated?
Several methods exist to heat our appartments and houses: electricity, natural gas, petrol, wood, heat pump, ... According to you, which source of energy is the most used in our homes?
Answer: Natural gas !
According to the data from the Statec in 2019, Luxemburgish houses mainly use natural gas (for heating and house needs). More generally, the energy used in the country is distributed as such:
All these methods have a different impact on the environment, in terms of carbon emissions as well as their impact on air quality or biodiversity. In all cases, heating oil is probably the worst: it has a very high carbon footprint, and emits a high quantity of soot and other pollutants, which reduce the quality of the air we breathe, especially in urban areas. This is why installing new oil heaters has been forbidden as of January 1st, 2022.
Besides, if natural gas is the most common method, it is not the most environment-friendly: wood and heat pumps clearly are more reliable solutions for the future. For the moment, they are the least harmful options for the environment. If you are building a new house, think about it! A passive house will also enable you to highly reduce your heat consumption.
Our local solutions to reduce the footprint of your energy consumption
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