The high and rising suicide rate among Switzerland’s male farmers stands in contrast to the declining rate among rural men working in other professions, according to a new study by the University of Bern published by the newspaper SonntagsZeitung. The suicide rate among male farmers was 38 per 100,000, a rate that has been rising […]
Swiss ski season starts early
Recent heavy snow has allowed several Swiss winter resorts to open early. Some high-altitude resorts have received as much as two metres of snow. Some of the resorts that have opened are only running lifts at the weekends. Last weekend, Verbier opened the area of the resort known as Lac des Vaux. Snow up to […]
Electric cars in Switzerland must soon make fake noise
Starting mid next year, electric and hybrid cars in Switzerland must emit noise to improve pedestrian safety, in particular the safety of those with impaired sight. The news was reported in the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag and confirmed by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). Electric and hybrid cars will need to be fitted with external […]
More than one million people exposed to traffic noise pollution in Switzerland
A recent report by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) estimates that more than one million people in Switzerland are exposed to traffic noise above the legal limit. The data, from 2015, was generated by software, traffic noise data and building maps. During the day, 1.1 million people are bothered by noise, a figure […]
Global warming to impact Switzerland at twice average speed, warns researcher
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a global temperature rise of 2 degrees will have a far greater impact than previously predicted. To avoid catastrophe, the authors recommend aiming for a lower 1.5 degree rise in global temperatures, only half a degree higher than now. Achieving this would require net global emissions to […]
New Swiss broadcasting fee starts next year
After a referendum in March 2018 threatened to axe Switzerland’s costly broadcasting fee, the government put forward a counter proposal, which was adopted when 71.6% of voters voted to keep the fee. On 1 January 2019, the lower fee contained in the government’s plan will come into force. Next year, instead of CHF 451, each […]
German couple bequeaths fortune to Swiss municipality
The municipality Vilters-Wangs in the canton of St. Gallen, received a legacy of around 8 million francs recently. The estate of a German couple includes their house, securities and an art collection, which will be put on display next summer in the Kunstmuseum in St. Gallen. The town of Vilters-Wangs has a population of around […]
Geneva aims for a new company tax rate of 13.79%
According to bilan.ch, Geneva’s Council of State, or executive, has put forward a proposed corporate tax rate of 13.79% as part of its tax reform project, work triggered by international pressure on Switzerland and its cantons to remove preferential tax treatment for certain international companies. This rate is the same as the rate already accepted […]
Swiss philanthropist donates US$1 billion to create more nature reserves
Swiss philanthropist and conservationist Hansjörg Wyss, who founded the medical device company Synthes and now lives in Wyoming in the US, set out his wish to keep more of the earth in its natural state in a column in the New York Times. He wrote: “Since the creation of the world’s first national park, Yellowstone, […]
Fewer foreigners commuting to Switzerland for work
In the third quarter of 2018, around 312,000 foreign residents commuted to work in Switzerland. In 2017 the figure was around 317,000. Cross-border workers in SwitzerlandInfogram This near 2% drop is the first since 2002. In 2002, there were only around 162,000 crossing into Switzerland to work, roughly half (52%) of today’s number. The fastest […]
