Environment Minister Leuthard enters the Senate chamber
Keystone
Parliament has agreed a credit of just under CHF148 million ($158 million) for international cooperation on environment issues.
This content was published on
1 minute
Urs Geiser, swissinfo.ch
Following approval by the House of Representatives, the Senate on Thursday came out in favour of continuing financial support mainly for the Global Environment FacilityExternal link (GEF) over the next four years.
Environment Minister Doris Leuthard praised the fund for its successful investments to set up protected areas around the world, promote biodiversity and eliminate the use of ozone depleting substances.
She said the renewed payment – the sixth since the creation of the GEF in 1991 – was in line with Switzerland’s environmental policy goals at an international level.
Leuthard said the GEF funds had triggered five-fold private investments.
Reduction
However, critics argued many GEF projects were inefficient and Switzerland should cut back its contribution. They said other countries were reducing their share.
The GEF is a platform for international cooperation between more than 180 countries, international institutions, civil society and the private sector.
It is considered a major multilateral instrument to finance environmental projects in developing countries and emerging economies.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
More needs to be done, says environment report
This content was published on
The reportExternal link gives an overview of Switzerland’s environment and natural resources and demonstrates how the Swiss way of life and economic activities affect the environment. In 140 pages it outlines the measures that have been taken to counteract these influences and the areas in which action is required. Measures taken in recent decades have…
This content was published on
Over half of the Swiss see themselves as more environmentally aware than average and believe more has to be done to combat climate change.
This content was published on
Switzerland is aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 in relation to 1990 levels, the environment ministry has announced. At least 30% must be achieved domestically, but the rest will be carried out abroad.
This content was published on
Delegates at the United Nations meeting in Kenya came up with a last minute agreement on Friday to begin preparations in 2008 on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. The Nairobi conference pursued two processes launched in Montreal in December 2005 – the start of negotiations on the successor to Kyoto after 2012, and the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.