This week, the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) announced it had collected enough signatures to launch a referendum to reject the government’s plan for reducing carbon emissions. The initiative puts Albert Rösti, Switzerland’s new environment minister, in a difficult position as a member of the party behind the future vote. On 9 January 2023, the party […]
Swiss ski resorts suffering from a lack of snow
After a good covering of snow following a cold snap in early December 2022, the snow gods went on strike. Since then very little snow has fallen in the Alps. In addition, word has spread fast via social media, something that could have an impact on resort tourist numbers. A report by RTS, discusses the […]
New platform shows Switzerland’s true electricity emissions
It is easy to think the electricity consumed in Switzerland is fairly clean. However, there are significant differences between the source of what is consumed and what is produced. To help clear up the confusion, a team of experts at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) created a tool that shows the source of electricity consumed […]
Christmas avalanche warnings in Switzerland
In parts of the Swiss mountains there is a high risk of avalanches from Friday, according to the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. In the highest Alpine zone stretching from Valais to Graubunden avalanche risk is currently at level 4 out of 5, according to SLF. Level 4 risk is relatively rare […]
Switzerland to restrict use of electric vehicles
Switzerland’s federal government plans to restrict the use of electric vehicles if there is a serious shortage of electricity, reported RTS. Electric vehicles consume substantial amounts of electricity. An average Swiss car travels 13,500 km per year. An average electric cars consumes nearly 200 Wh/km. This means a household with two electric cars could be […]
An end-of-year meter reading could have a big impact on your electricity bill
Electricity prices are going up in Switzerland in 2023. For those expecting to consume less electricity in 2023 than in 2022, reading the meter at the end of 2022 could save you money. Most electricity bills are calculated by taking the difference between two meter readings and dividing total consumption by the number of days […]
Environment tops 2022 list of Swiss concerns
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Swiss Rail to add more space for bikes
There are plenty of disincentives to avoid cycling. Swiss Rail announced this week that it would aim to reduce one of these by adding more space on trains to accommodate bicycles, reported RTS. In Switzerland, travelling on a train with a bicycle is expensive. Bringing a bike along for the ride means an extra ticket […]
