The vote this weekend delivered a clear “no”. The Environmental Responsibility Initiative set highly ambitious limits to emissions and the consumption of natural resources, defined as planetary boundaries, to be reached within 10 years. Polls ahead of the vote made it clear that a majority of those polled considered the economic costs of meeting such […]
New electric car registrations fell in 2024 in Switzerland
All-electric vehicle registrations as a percentage of the total fell in Switzerland in 2024, according to recent data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). So did the total number. After years of strong growth, all-electric vehicles as a percentage of new vehicle registrations fell in 2024. For passenger cars the percentage fell from 20.7% in […]
New federal government jet too big for hangar
The new Federal Council jet does not fit into the existing federal hangar at Bern-Belp airport near Bern because the plane is too big, reported RTS. The Bombardier Global 7500 does not fit into the existing building in Bern-Belp due to its size and will probably be housed at the Payerne military airbase in Vaud […]
Switzerland’s 2025 siren test successful
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. On 5 February 2025, over 5,000 sirens sounded throughout Switzerland during the siren test. 99% of the sirens tested worked perfectly, reported the authorities. As part of the test more than 12 million push notifications were sent from the Alertswiss app during […]
Swiss government shifts investment plan to road and rail after failed vote on roads
In November 2024, 52.7% of voters rejected a federal government plan to expand key sections of Switzerland’s motorway network. Environmental issues associated with road traffic and the cost (CHF 5.3 billion) were common reasons given by those rejecting the proposal. This has left the government with no path to solve the country’s infrastructure bottlenecks. This […]
Fast fashion creating mountains of waste in Switzerland
Switzerland generates around 110,000 tons of used clothing a year, reported SRF. Most of it is unwanted. Only 1 in 100 items finds a buyer, according to Sascha Sardella, the operations manager at Tell-Tex, one of Switzerland’s largest textile collection organisations. Second hand clothes can’t compete with cheap new clothes from China, he said. Cheap […]
The rapidly fading economics of solar panels in Switzerland
Electricity prices in Switzerland are set for a shake up. Prices paid for electricity put into the grid are falling fast in some parts of the country, reported RTS. From 2026, these prices will be adjusted every quarter, rather than once a year. This will add further uncertainty to prices and the investment case for […]
10 out of 13 bottled waters tested in Switzerland fail pollution test
Swiss broadcaster RTS recently had 13 brands of bottled water sold in Switzerland tested for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). 10 of the 13 tested positive. TFA is widely used in the pesticide, pharmaceutical and electronics industries. TFA belongs to a family of chemicals known as PFAS, chemicals that take a very long time to break down, […]
Switzerland’s varied and changing electric cars taxes
How much road tax must be paid to drive an electric car in Switzerland varies significantly depending on the canton. It can also change with little warning, reported SRF this week. Annual vehicle tax on the fully electric Tesla Model Y Long Range costs CHF 1,353 in Geneva. In Zurich, Solothurn, Nidwalden, Glarus and St. […]
Impact of the 9 February vote if accepted
On 9 February 2025, Swiss voters will be asked to decide whether to accept the Environmental Responsibility Initiative. The initiative sets highly ambitious limits to emissions and the consumption of natural resources, defined as planetary boundaries, to be reached within 10 years. There is no detail on how these limits will be reached – see […]
