Cabinet ministers lauded for nuclear decision
Four cabinet ministers have won the European Solar Prize for their role in Switzerland’s decision to abandon nuclear power.
President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, Environment Minister Doris Leuthard and Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf will be presented with the prize by industry foundation the Swiss Solar Agency in Berlin in December.
Swiss Solar Agency director Gallus Cadonau said the decision to abandon the use of nuclear power was “extraordinary on a European level” and sent a clear signal that energy policies had reached a turning point.
The European Solar Prize was first awarded in 1994, following a decision by the European Parliament to actively encourage the development of renewable energies.
The establishment of the prize followed the example of the Swiss Solar Prizes which were set up in 1991 to encourage energy efficiency, the development of renewable energies and climate protection.
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