IEA praises Swiss efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions

The International Energy Agency on Monday praised Switzerland’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and recommended swift deregulation of the electricity and gas market to further help reduce CO2 emissions.

The International Energy Agency on Monday praised Switzerland’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and recommended swift deregulation of the electricity and gas market to further help reduce CO2 emissions.

IEA Executive Director Robert Priddle underlined that Switzerland already had the lowest CO2 emissions of all 24 IEA member states due to its use of nuclear power plants and hydroelectric energy production.

Speaking at a news conference of the Swiss energy ministry in Berne, Priddle said that Switzerland was “well on its way” to meeting its ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 10 percent by 2010.

However, he recommended that Switzerland introduce “swift and decisive” measures to further reduce CO2 emissions – for instance by introducing stricter building codes and more support for public transport.

Additional financial incentives should also be implemented in order to give both consumers and producers the choice of whether they want to use fuel-based electricity.

Prices should be kept at a competitive level and alternative energy resources should be supported, Priddle said.

He called on Switzerland to liberalise the electricity and gas market, saying cartels and regulations had kept prices in both energy sectors too high.

The Swiss government has already presented plans to fully liberalise the electricity market by the year 2007. The plan will now have to be discussed by parliament.

Should Switzerland decide to reduce or phase out nuclear electricity production, Priddle said, the effect on CO2 emissions should also be taken into account.

Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with five reactors, and only 2 percent of electricity is fuel-generated.

The director of the Swiss energy ministry Eduard Kiener said he was pleased with the IEA’s assessment of Switzerland’s energy policies.

He in turn called on the IEA to step up efforts aimed at coordinating the energy policies of all member states.

The Paris-based IEA was founded in 1974. It determines policies to meet changing energy and economic conditions.


Sources: APD, sda-ats