What does the “LALUX Re:Natur – Biberbaach” project involve?
Noelle Gerin (Head of Sustainable Development at LALUX): The “LALUX Re:Natur – Biberbaach” project emerged from discussions with our partner natur&ëmwelt a.s.b.l., which introduced us to the Fondation Hëllef fir d’Natur, to which the association belongs. The project focuses on the renaturation of a site crossed by a tributary of the Sûre River. The objective is to restore the site to a more natural functioning state, ensure its long-term preservation and to support biodiversity.
What is your role within this project?
Our role is to support the acquisition of the land. The site will belong to the Foundation, which will ensure its long-term management. This model guarantees the sustainability of the actions undertaken, regardless of future developments. Beyond the acquisition itself, we also wish to contribute actively to the project by turning the site into an educational resource and by enabling our teams to take an active part in the renaturation efforts.
What does the term “Biberbaach” mean?
In Luxembourgish, the word “Biber” means beaver. The possibility of its return to this natural area is being considered as part of the project, as this animal plays a structuring role within ecosystems. Through the modifications it creates, the beaver contributes to the formation of wetlands and to water regulation, perfectly illustrating the second part of the name: “Baach”, meaning stream. It is a concrete and meaningful example of how certain species actively contribute to natural balance and ecosystem resilience.
What inspired this commitment?
As a company, we are part of a broader ecosystem made up of our clients, employees and partners. LALUX is a Luxembourg institution founded 105 years ago, whose mission is to protect people and their property. Today, this also means taking an interest in the environments in which we live and evolve, and upon which we depend just as much as future generations do.
Our responsible business approach lies at the heart of this reflection, with the ambition to contribute, at our level, to preserving living ecosystems and maintaining their balance.
Our ambition is to support a constructive, preventive approach with a lasting positive impact.
Why did you decide to develop this particular project?
Our intention was to support a constructive and preventive initiative with a lasting positive impact on natural environments, while taking the time to act in a coherent and thoughtful way. With this in mind, we sought to create concrete, meaningful projects connected to our local territory and designed for the long term. It was within this framework that we decided to take part in renaturation initiatives in Luxembourg.
Why is this meaningful for an insurance company such as LALUX?
Natural balances play an essential role in the functioning of our environments. Restoring or preserving them helps recreate favourable dynamics for biodiversity, but also for improved water management. These effects are multiple and often interconnected. Indirectly, such balances help limit certain overflow phenomena during heavy rainfall and contribute to flood prevention as climate-related risks intensify. While this is not the project’s direct objective, it aligns closely with our preventive approach as an insurer. In Luxembourg, flooding represents one of the main climate risks to which we are exposed. Today, we can no longer separate humankind from nature. We are an integral part of it and, as such, we must ensure its preservation.
Shared experience
Luc Schiltz, Geographer at the Fondation Hëllef fir d’Natur: “The Foundation’s main mission is to safeguard natural environments through the acquisition and management of nature reserves. Since 1982, the Foundation has succeeded in preserving more than 2,000 hectares of land for biodiversity. Thanks to the support of LALUX, the Foundation has just acquired a new site near Kehmen, covering more than 13 contiguous hectares, including several parcels typical of Ardennes wet valleys. The site includes threatened biotopes such as marshland areas (BK11) and low-intensity hay meadows (6510), as well as their surrounding woodland edges. Wet meadows are essential for water retention and flood regulation.
A first abandoned section of the site was acquired in 2025, and initial management measures were carried out during the winter in order to reduce scrub encroachment and reintegrate the land into agricultural management. A flora inventory will be conducted on the site this spring, and a volunteer worksite involving LALUX teams will take place next winter.”