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 […]
Swiss fondu gets its own trademark
The Swiss cheese fondu “moitié-moitié”, which means half-half in English, will soon have its own figurative trademark, reports RTS. On 16 November 2022, the cheese producers’ association in the canton of Fribourg announced that it had applied for a trademark for the well-known “moitié-moitié” cheese fondu, which is made up of a 50/50 mix of […]
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 […]
11 percent of Switzerland’s population exposed to water contaminated with Chlorothalonil
Levels of the chemical Chlorothalonil exceeding 0.1 micrograms per litre have been detected in the water used by around 700,000 people in Switzerland, reported RTS. Chlorothalonil is a chemical found in fungicides used to protect crops, preserve wood and to give paints antifungal properties. Typically among the top three most used agrochemicals it is used […]
Vote on pension reform most divisive in Swiss history
Switzerland’s recent vote on state pension reform on 25 September 2022, divided men and women, reported RTS. The vote was split into two parts. The first asked whether the state pension age for women should rise from 64 to 65 to bring it into line with the pension age for men. The second part asked […]
Swiss construction workers protest over hours and pay
After construction workers went out on strike for two days in French-speaking Switzerland, construction workers protested in Zurich over hours and pay on 11 November 2022, reported RTS. With inflation in Switzerland running at 3%, construction workers are demanding higher pay. However, the construction industry has responded with an offer of better pay tied to […]
Bank predicts home rent rises in Switzerland
According to the bank Raiffeisen, a future rental housing crisis is likely in Switzerland as the home vacancy rate moves below 1% in 2024, reported 20 Minutes. The combined forces of higher construction costs and higher interest rates have reduced the number of homes being built, said the bank. This combined with the continued growth […]
