Luxembourg Joins COP30 Call for Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Roadmap

Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity has announced that the Grand Duchy has joined an international initiative calling for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, presented at the 30th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

After calm was restored following a fire at the COP30 convention centre, Colombia announced on Friday 21 November 2025 that more than 80 countries had officially joined the initiative it launched at the opening of COP30 - a global initiative to "turn the page" on fossil fuels.

According to the ministry, the Colombian-led initiative aims to establish a concrete multilateral framework for a gradual, irreversible and just phase-out of fossil fuels, based on:

• a coordinated timetable for reducing the production and consumption of coal, oil and gas;
• investment mechanisms dedicated to renewable energy, energy efficiency and the transition of industrial sectors;
• transparent annual monitoring within the COP framework.

Among the countries that have joined this pact are Mexico, Canada, Spain, Germany, Kenya, Japan, South Korea and most European Union (EU) member states - including the three BeNeLux countries.

Speaking for Belgium, Jean-Luc Crucke, Minister of Mobility, Climate and Environmental Transition, also responsible for Sustainable Development, said: "This declaration is not ideological: it is realistic, economic and strategic. The world is changing - our policies must keep pace. The future will be carbon neutral or it will not exist. But at the same time, we will ensure that this transition is fair, particularly for our households and businesses most at risk."

The Netherlands' Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth, Sophie Hermans, added: "There is a clear opportunity to phase out fossil fuels and now is the time to capitalise on this. We must start to define how this phasing could be implemented and begin a clear roadmap that will allow us to introduce new energy and eliminate the old."

Representing Luxembourg, Serge Wilmes, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, stated: "We must close the emissions gap with an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This response must, in particular, aim to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels. Social justice must be one of the pillars of this transition. Luxembourg strongly supports the idea of ​​a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels."

While recognising the ambition of the initiative, the BeNeLux countries stressed the need for a realistic and socially responsible transition.

In terms of next steps, the Netherlands and Colombia will co-host the first international conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels in April 2026.

The ministry added that while the final outcome of COP30 is not yet known, the BeNeLux delegations remain fully committed to securing an ambitious agreement - not only on phasing out fossil fuels, but also on deforestation and the greening of financial flows.

Regardless of the final text, the ministry said the creation of a united international bloc around the planned end of fossil fuels already represents "a major step forward and proof that multilateralism remains alive, useful and capable of influencing history."