Luxembourg may be among the smallest states in Europe, but situated at the heart of the continent it plays an important role within the European Union, sharing the joined responsibility for a future worth living. “Humanity finds itself at a crossroad,” Schellnhuber said during his talk. “If the exit from fossil energy succeeds and we reach the 2-degree-target, the ensuing environmental changes would be tolerable. If we continue with business as usual, we are moving towards a global warming of 8 degrees – and the world wouldn´t be the one we know.” To reach the 2-degree-target, most of the existing resources would need to stay in the ground. In the 21st century, questions of global commons like water or the atmosphere will occur more amplified, Edenhofer explained. “We need rules to manage the atmosphere jointly,” he said.
Following the visit, Matthias Platzeck said we were obliged to future generations not to abate the efforts to mitigate climate change. Grand Duke Henri showed great interest in the discussed strategies. In the course of his visit to Germany, Luxembourg´s head of state also met with President Joachim Gauck and Chancelor Angela Merkel. Amongst others, he was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Economic Affairs of Luxembourg. The visit at the Potsdam Institute was a special request of the Grand Duke.
