According to the Credit Suisse worry barometer, the environment was the number one concern for the Swiss population in 2022. Although in percentage terms concern about the environment was unchanged from last year it rose in the ranking. The environment was followed in second and third place by AHV/retirement provision and energy, respectively, while the […]
Swiss rents set to rise as much as 15 percent
Close to half of renters is Switzerland could face significant increases in rent, estimates Zürich Kantonalbank (ZKB), with rents potentially rising as much as 15% over the next five years, reported the newspaper Blick. The reference mortgage rate used to set rents, which was has been 1.25% since March 2020 could rise as high as […]
Switzerland’s 2023 motorway vignette unveiled
Every year Switzerland’s motorway vignette is a different colour. Next year it’s yellow. Valid from 1 December 2022 until 31 January 2024, the new stickers must be displayed by anyone using Switzerland’s motorway network. The price remains the same. The motorway stickers have cost CHF 40 for 28 years. Introduced after a referendum in 1985, […]
Only 50 percent of electricity consumed in Switzerland is clean
The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) claims 80% of the electricity consumed in Switzerland is renewable. However, a recent study from Geneva University calculates that only 50% is, reported RTS. The difference between the SFOE’s 80% and Geneva University’s 50% largely results from the way the two figures are calculated. The SFOE’s calculation is […]
Vitamin D boost – put your mushrooms in the sun
The level of vitamin D in most mushrooms bought from a supermarket is typically low. However, putting them in the sun can raise the level 10-fold. Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium and is important for muscle function. A lack of it is associated with a number of diseases. Evidence suggests getting enough vitamin […]
Switzerland adopts EU’s eighth package of sanctions
On 23 November 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Council adopted the latest round of EU sanctions against Russia. In response to Russia’s ongoing military aggression against Ukraine, as well as Russia’s continued efforts to destabilise and undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and security, the European Union (EU) adopted new measures against Russia on 6 October as part […]
Climate change – global population nearly triples since 1960
This week the global population reached 8 billion, a figure approaching three times what it was in 1960 when the global population reached 3 billion. Over the period from 1960 to 2021, total global emissions from fossil fuels and industry rose 295% from 9.4 to 37.1 billion tonnes. These total global emission and population figures […]
Inter-cantonal tax transfers to rise 5 percent in 2023
On 16 November 2022, Switzerland’s federal government announced the sums that will be transferred between the nation’s statelets or cantons in 2023, a mechanism aimed at ensuring wealthy cantons support those with weaker economies. In 2023, CHF 5.6 billion will be transferred, a sum CHF 290 million greater than in 2022 (+5%). The total sum […]
Confidential drug deals push up cost of Swiss healthcare, claims association
Around CHF 8 billion is spent annually on medicines prescribed for specific diseases in Switzerland. 20 drugs account for about a fifth of this cost, many of them sold at prices negotiated in secret. These confidential drug price negotiations are one of the reasons the cost of Swiss healthcare is rising so fast, claims Curafutura, […]
Swiss hotels soon allowed to undercut platforms on price
Many agencies and online platforms get hotels to sign contracts that stop them offering prices lower than those offered by the agency or platform. From 1 December 2022, it will no longer possible to legally enforce these arrangements as they will be deemed an unfair trading practice. On 16 November 2022, the Federal Council brought […]
