The Swiss consumed almost 11% less energy last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and warmer weather, according to the Federal Office of Energy.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/sb
In total, Swiss residents used up 747,400 terajoules (TJ) of energy in 2020 – a fall of 10.6% compared to 2019 – the office said in a statementExternal link on Monday.
The two Covid-related lockdowns in spring and autumn, as well as warm weather, caused the sharp decrease in energy consumption, it said.
Various indicators point to the large decrease. Estimations of distances covered by passenger vehicles and vehicle movements fell steeply. Air traffic was down by 64%, for example. Industrial production also decreased by 3.5% and gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 2.9% compared to 2019, the energy office reported.
Warmer weather in 2020 also meant less energy was needed to heat apartments and buildings, it added.
Together this caused a -23% decrease in fuel consumption compared to 2019. Petrol and diesel consumption fell by 8.1% overall (petrol -11.4%, diesel -5.2%). Sales of jet fuel fell by 62.2%. Fossil fuels still account for roughly one-third of all energy consumed in Switzerland.
The impact of the pandemic on renewable energy sources varied last year. The consumption of wood and waste for energy purposes fell, as did biogas, but the use of solar energy and ambient heat via heat pumps increased.
More
More
Swiss get 75% of power from renewable sources
This content was published on
Last year three-quarters of the electricity from Swiss sockets came from renewable sources, with 66% from large-scale hydropower plants.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
This content was published on
Swiss voters have rejected legislation at the heart of the country’s strategy to abide by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
This content was published on
The world’s first high-altitude floating solar power plant may be a sign of things to come for the global photovoltaic industry.
Switzerland to become climate neutral by 2050, says government
This content was published on
Switzerland should become climate neutral by 2050, the Swiss government has declared. It has tightened its target based on new IPCC findings.
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.