CELL - the transition hub

CELL - Citizens for Ecological Learning and Living (CELL) - is an association created in 2010 in Luxembourg, committed to the ecological and social transition. CELL's DNA is citizen-based, and it is the driving force behind the Transition movement in Luxembourg. Through concrete, positive citizen action, CELL aims to make Luxembourg society less dependent on fossil fuels, more united and more resilient in the face of the climate and biodiversity crises and the challenges they bring.

CELL uses specific pedagogical tools to ground learning in experience, including permaculture design, agroecology, action research, radical and participatory pedagogy, deep ecology and various moderation techniques.

CELL is part of the wider network of the Transition movement in Luxembourg, which includes collaborations with Repair Café Lëtzebuerg, SEED  and the citizen seed network, Transition Minett and Transition Nord, Äerdschëff, as well as local transition groups, the community garden network, and energy and food cooperatives.

As a key player in the Climate Pact, we work with local authorities and the Climate Agency, EmweltBerodung Lëtzebuerg), Klima-Bündnis and IMS.

At the regional level, our partners are the Parcs naturels de la High Safe, the’Our and Mullerthal, and Pro-Sud and LEADER Luxembourg.

CELL also collaborates with various national platforms, such as Votum Klima, and Meng Landwirtschaft. Other cooperation at national level includes organized civil society (Voĉo, the informal platform for citizen participation), other citizen movements including Rise for Climate, and other associations such as Natur & Ëmwelt or SOS Faim.

CELL is a regular project partner of leading Luxembourg research institutions such as the National Museum of Natural History,[15] l’University of Luxembourg, the LIST, the READ or the’IBLA, and some universities abroad, notably as part of European projects.

At the international level, CELL is a founding member of’SCHOOL (the European network of citizens' initiatives for climate action and sustainability) and an active member of Transition Network and its network of national transition hubs. We are also involved in cooperative ventures with the Low-Tech Lab (France), négaWatt (France), Resilience Earth (Catalonia), ULEX - trainings for social movement, impact & resilience (Spain), Bioregional Learning Centre (England), and Start-up de Territoire (France).

CELL's main objective is to build a Luxembourg society that is less dependent on fossil fuels, more just, supportive and resilient in the face of climate change, while taking care of threatened living systems. To advance the fair ecological transition, CELL focuses on participatory democracy, with a particular emphasis on local action in communes. Innovation in methods and systems, through collaboration between organized civil society, research institutions and government bodies, completes this approach.

Through concrete projects in the field, citizen forums and training courses, citizens appropriate tangible and positive practices of just transition to set up local initiatives such as community gardens, Repair Cafés, third places, sharing economy projects, energy cooperatives, sustainable food initiatives, etc. These initiatives make it possible to change behavior towards a low-carbon society in line with political objectives. These initiatives make it possible to change behavior towards a low-carbon society in line with political objectives.

For the past 15 years, CELL has been supporting the emergence of these concrete initiatives: building the capacities of citizen groups and municipalities, supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships, uniting players in national networks, and launching ever more ambitious pilot projects. CELL acts as a bridge between national priorities and local actions, amplifying the scope of the transition around themes such as :

• Decarbonization and regional resilience
• Nature-based solutions
• Just transition
• Civic involvement
• Integrated sustainable development