As heatwaves rise, Swiss climate concerns fall

A man walks across a central London park on August 9, 2026. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

As Europe grapples with heatwaves, drought and devastating wildfires, many Swiss consumers appear largely unmoved. A new survey found that four in five adults say the climate crisis has little or no influence on their spending and investment decisions, a share that has steadily increased over the past seven years.

The study, published on Tuesday by the online consumer platform Comparis, foundExternal link that 34% of Swiss consumers are “not at all” influenced by climate change, while 46% are only “slightly” influenced.

Just one in five said the issue plays a meaningful role in purchasing or investment decisions.

“Many Swiss people say they would be prepared to cut back on air travel or meat consumption, but the facts tell a different story,” said Michael Kuhn, a finance expert at Comparis.

The trend is visible across all income groups but is most pronounced among higher earners. Among households with a gross monthly income above CHF8,000 ($9,860), 84% said the climate crisis has little or no influence on their decisions, compared with 75% of households earning up to CHF4,000 a month.

Parents, however, appear more receptive to climate concerns. Some 74% of respondents with children said the climate debate influences their decisions to some extent, compared with 62% of those without children.

‘Climate fatigue’ is progressing

Since 2019, Comparis has regularly surveyed households on the importance of climate issues.

The results point to a clear trend. Between late 2020 and mid-2023, between 66% and 70% of respondents said climate concerns had little or no influence on their consumer choices. By 2026, that figure had climbed to 80%.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people who claim to be unaffected by the crisis has risen from about 20% to 34%.

Kuhn reckons the trend is due to a mix of competing concerns, including rising health insurance premiums, higher rents, wars and inflation, combined with fatigue from years of climate debate and a growing sense of powerlessness.

What people say – and what they do

The survey suggests many Swiss have greener intentions than habits. Among those who say they take climate change into account, 40% report reducing their consumption of meat and other animal products, while 36% say they fly less frequently.

But official figures paint a slightly different picture. According to the Federal Office for Agriculture, meat consumption in Switzerland fell to 48 kg per capita in 2023, before rising to 50 kg in 2024 and 51 kg in 2025. Since 2019, consumption has been stable at around 50 kg per person.

A similar pattern is evident for other animal products. According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, egg consumption exceeded 200 units per capita for the first time in 2025, reaching 209. Consumption of milk and dairy products has been stable in the past few years.

Air travel also appears as popular as ever. Zurich Airport recorded 23.2 million domestic passengers last year, a new record, up from 22.2 million in 2019.

Other data reinforces the trend. The Federal Statistical Office saysExternal link Swiss spending on overseas travel has increased since 2019. In 2025, residents spent CHF19.3 billion abroad, up 1.9% compared to 2024.

A climate report for the city of Zurich published earlier this year found that residents flew an average of 10,500 kilometres per person in 2024, roughly equivalent to a return flight from Zurich to Dubai each year. That was around 600 km more than a year earlier.

“We would like to see measures taken, but when it comes to us giving up a plane trip, clothes or a steak, we’re not prepared to make that sacrifice,” said Kuhn.

Climate fatalism – and belief in government policy

The Comparis findings match broader signs of growing climate disengagement and climate fatalism in Switzerland. Nearly one in three people say it is already too late to tackle the crisis, while economic and healthcare concerns have overtaken climate change in people’s list of priorities.

An international Ipsos survey published in April found a similar decline in climate engagement. Across the countries surveyed, the share of respondents who viewed inaction on climate change as a failure towards future generations fell from 72% in 2021 to 61%. In Switzerland, the figure dropped to 50%, a decline of 14 percentage points since 2021 and below levels recorded in neighbouring France (63%) and Italy (62%).

Despite being particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming, Switzerland is experiencing a marked decline in the perceived urgency of the issue and a rise in climate fatalism, Ipsos analyst Marcus Burke told Swissinfo.

Compared with people in neighbouring countries, the Swiss appear more detached and less concerned about climate change, Burke said, attributing this to a combination of greater fatalism and, paradoxically, stronger confidence in government policy.

“Despite the string of new temperature records, people’s willingness to take action against climate change is dwindling,” said the Ipsos analyst.

Edited by Veronica De Vore