Swiss scientists are working hard on technology to extract CO2 from the air to combat climate change. Since they began their work on the technology they have already halved the cost to between US$ 400 and 600 a tonne, reported SRF this week. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by the second […]
Switzerland’s low incarceration rate comes with Europe’s second highest prison suicide rate
A study published this week highlights Switzerland’s high prison suicide rate (20.2 per 10,000), which is second only to Latvia’s (21.7 to 10,000) in Europe. The average prison suicide rate across the 45 European countries in the survey was 7.1 per 10,000. The rate across Swiss prisons was 20.2 per 10,000, nearly three times the […]
Swiss universities fare well in latest ranking
In the most recent QS ranking, ETH Zurich remains the top university in continental Europe, trailing only six others in the US (MIT 1st, Harvard 4th, Stanford 6th) and the UK (Imperial – 2nd, Oxford 3rd, Cambridge 5th). ETH Zurich came 7th in the previous ranking. In addition to ranking 7th overall, ETH Zurich was […]
Swiss government votes against recognising Palestine as a state
Should Switzerland recognise Palestine as a state? Switzerland’s National Council (parliament) discussed the subject on Tuesday and decided against the idea by 131 votes to 61, reported SRF. The motion, which proposed Switzerland recognise Palestine as a state on the condition that Hamas release the hostages kidnapped in October, was put to parliament by National […]
Swiss to vote on renewable electricity this weekend
Switzerland doesn’t produce enough electricity to meet its needs, particularly in winter when demand is highest. To keep the lights on it imports electricity from its neighbours, much of it produced with polluting fuels. This leaves Switzerland reliant on its neighbours and acts as a drag on its climate progress. To remedy this, the government […]
Swiss inflation in May erodes case for further interest rate cut
In March 2024, as Switzerland’s month-on-month inflation rate went to zero and the annual inflation rate dipped to 1%, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) cut its key interest rate from 1.75% to 1.5%. Some expected the bank to keep cutting. However, in both April and May 2024, monthly inflation returned, making further imminent rate cuts […]
Most Swiss empty-nesters not planning to downsize
Switzerland has one of the world’s tightest housing markets. Vacancy rates in cantons like Geneva (0.42%) and Zurich (0.53%) are extremely low. By comparison, the rate in New York City (1.4%) is around three times higher. The vacancy rate across Switzerland (1.15%) as a whole is lower than NYC. With such a shortage of housing, […]
Switzerland remains a country of car commuters
Data published this week, shows that half of Swiss workers travel to and from work by car, despite a push to get commuters to switch to public transport to meet climate targets. Federal Statistical Office data shows that around 80% of the nation’s 5 million workers were required to travel to work in 2022. Of […]
Swiss premium relief vote shifts towards rejection
Rising health insurance premiums, which partly fund Switzerland’s healthcare system, are a key concern among Swiss voters. An initiative that aims to subsidise the premiums of those on low incomes will be put to voters on 9 June 2024. Had the vote taken place in April 2024, 56% of voters would have supported it. However, […]
Swiss universities triple fees for foreign students
Switzerland’s federal government is spending more than it collects. To improve its finances it is looking for additional revenue and costs that it can cut. This week, the government decided to charge foreign students at its two federal universities, EPFL in Lausanne and ETHZ in Zurich, three times what they currently pay, reported SRF. Switzerland […]
