Switzerland has a mechanism that automatically increases taxes on fossil fuels if emission reduction targets are not met. And the small reduction in emissions in 2020 is not enough to avoid triggering a CO2 tax rise in 2022. Data published this week by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) confirms the slow progress in […]
Swiss government to look at delaying nuclear phaseout
Switzerland’s government has recently begun discussing extending the scheduled closure of the nation’s nuclear power stations, according to RTS. On 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council rejected the institutional framework agreement, a deal put together by the EU that would have replaced Switzerland’s existing patchwork of agreements with the bloc. It appears that some in […]
Swiss anti-5G initiative fails to reach enough signatures
To launch a referendum in Switzerland, organisers must collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months. The organisers of an initiative aimed at making telecommunication companies legally responsible for any damage caused by mobile phone technology managed to collect only 92,000 signatures by the 3 July 2021 deadline, 8,000 short of the 100,000 signatures required for a […]
The toxic state of one of Switzerland’s longest rivers
Long ago ago hydroelectricity attracted energy intensive manufacturing to the canton of Valais, much of it along the banks of the Rhône river. These activities, which include aluminium smelting, synthetic fertiliser production and chemical manufacture, boosted the local economy but have also left a legacy of pollution that continues to affect the river and ground […]
Swiss meat and eggs often not very Swiss
Any animal raised and slaughtered in Switzerland can be labelled Swiss. However, what the animal has been fed could be from anywhere. If animals are what they eat then much of the meat and eggs labelled Swiss aren’t very Swiss. A key challenge for meat, dairy and egg consumers is the absence of information on […]
Swiss to vote on CO2 taxes. How much could it cost?
On 13 June 2021, Swiss voters will decide on whether to accept a government plan to raise taxes on certain high emission activities, which include additional taxes on heating oil, flights and petrol and diesel for road use. The aim of the revised law is to change behaviour and reduce Switzerland’s emissions. The amount that […]
Switzerland’s underground tunnel project gets green light from upper house
On 1 June 2021, a project to build an underground freight tunnel network stretching from Geneva to St Gallen, gained almost unanimous support in the Council of States, Switzerland upper house. The project, which was launched in 2013 by private investors, won favour with 39 members of the Council of States with 1 abstention. In […]
Swiss pesticide votes – pesticides, antibiotics, gut bacteria, hormones and disease
As we move through time scientific research improves our understanding of the world. The resulting revelations often point to changes that could lead to progress. However, these changes are rarely painless. Shifting away from the use of antibiotics on livestock and the agricultural use of pesticides are not small adjustments. They underpin current farming methods […]
Coldest spring in Switzerland for 30 years
According to Meteo Swiss, spring this year was the coldest in 30 years. The mean May temperature across the country was 2.5 ° C below the 1981-2010 norm. Over the last 30 years, only 2019 and 2013 came close to having May temperatures as cold as they were in May 2021. When chilly May is […]
Fake meat sales on the rise in Switzerland
Sales of fake or faux meat products rose sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to figures recently published by Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG). Since 2016, the value of meat substitutes sold in Switzerland has more than doubled from CHF 32 million to CHF 72 million. However, it remains niche accounting for only 1.3% […]
