Climate solutions

Coverage of Switzerland’s adaptation to new realities and opportunities posed by melting glaciers and permafrost, as well as what innovation looks like when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions.

Truth or tale: is Switzerland injecting harmful chemicals into the sky?

A woman speaking into a microphone with an airport in the background.

This content was published on Aug 2, 2025 We received a number of social media comments referencing the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory, but is that true?

Glaciers & permafrost

Tourists admire the Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in Europe.

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 Climate change puts glacier tourism at risk. How can this vital industry be saved for local communities? Here are some adaptation strategies.

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 East Africa’s tropical glaciers, from Kilimanjaro to Mount Kenya, are disappearing due to climate change. What does this mean for the continent’s water supply?

Researchers in Switzerland have tested the use of fibre optics on several Alpine glaciers (picture shows the Rhone Glacier).

Fibre optics on glaciers open new frontiers for natural disaster predictions

This content was published on Jun 29, 2025 The fibre-optic cables we use to surf the Internet and make phone calls could help us predict a landslide or the collapse of a glacier.

Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants

This content was published on Jun 25, 2025 As climate change threatens the Himalayas, Switzerland brings its Alpine disaster prevention expertise to India.

The Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland is the largest in Europe by volume.

Why Iceland is becoming a glacier graveyard

This content was published on May 25, 2025 Iceland’s glaciers are among the fastest melting in the world. This causes not only the sea level but also the ground to rise.

Why do Swiss mountains collapse? It’s complicated

This content was published on May 23, 2025 Small landslides are on the increase in the Swiss Alps owing to climate change. But the link with global warming is less obvious for large natural disasters.

Achille Capelli studies the effects of climate change on Alaska's ice and snow. Pictured is at Barrow Point, the northernmost point in the United States.

From the snow of Davos to the ice of the Arctic

This content was published on May 18, 2025 Swiss researcher Achille Capelli has found an open-air laboratory in Alaska. He is studying the polar ice shelf and is worried to see the impact of climate change.

The Nevado del Ruiz glacier, located at an altitude of 5,320 metres in Colombia, has seen its surface area halved since the 1980s.

South America’s tropical glaciers are an endangered cultural heritage

This content was published on Apr 19, 2025 These glaciers, located near the equator, are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and the consequences of their melting are vast.

The Yala Glacier in Nepal could disappear in the next 20-25 years.

Nepal and the Himalayas, the agony of glaciers on the roof of the world

This content was published on Apr 12, 2025 Melting Himalayan glaciers increase the risk of catastrophic flooding and reduce fresh water resources for nearly two billion people.

The international consequences of a glacier-free Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 7, 2025 Switzerland’s glaciers could almost disappear due to global warming. Melting ice in the Alps will have an impact on large rivers in Western Europe – but it won’t stop there.

The Swiss glacier monitoring network GLAMOS (pictured carrying out measurements on the Pers Glacier in southeastern Switzerland) is among the oldest in the world.

Why the Swiss are leading efforts to track melting glaciers

This content was published on Mar 21, 2025 Glaciers around the world are rapidly melting. Switzerland plays a central role in monitoring glaciers globally.

Emissions reduction

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

This content was published on Jul 25, 2025 Data centres are popping up across Switzerland, driven in part by demand for AI. They come at a cost: by 2030, the centres could consume 15% of the country’s electricity.

A nuclear power plant in Switzerland shown between dark clouds and bright rapeseed fields.

Risks remain as Switzerland weighs return to nuclear power

This content was published on Jul 17, 2025 Switzerland reconsiders nuclear power amid climate goals, but experts warn of hidden risks that show the complexities of clean energy today.

The Gösgen nuclear power plant in canton Solothurn is one of three still in operation in Switzerland.

Why climate change and wars are reviving interest in nuclear energy

This content was published on Jul 17, 2025 Is the Fukushima effect over? Here’s why there is renewed interest around the atom and which nations want to build new nuclear power plants.

In recent years ski resorts at lower altitudes have had to re-think their tourism offers due to the lack of snow.

Climate change puts Swiss tourism to the test

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 Climate change threatens tourism in Switzerland – and is partly caused by it. How can the industry become more sustainable?

The Neurath lignite-fired power station in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Climate misinformation is ‘muddying waters’ and delaying urgent action, experts warn

This content was published on Jul 11, 2025 The fossil fuel industry and right-wing populists are coordinating misinformation campaigns to obstruct efforts to tackle the climate crisis, according to a new review of climate misinformation.

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

This content was published on Jul 8, 2025 The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) comes with environmental costs that are still largely hidden.

Opinion

Climate scientist: overhyped carbon removal risks delaying urgent climate action

This content was published on Jun 26, 2025 Misrepresenting the potential of carbon dioxide removal technologies like direct air capture risks undermining global efforts to decarbonise, says climate scientist James Kerry.

Solar panels on the Muttsee dam in the Glarus Alps, August 2021.

Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland

This content was published on Jun 15, 2025 Solar energy is essential for achieving a zero-emission society. But where to produce it in large quantities? Here are the most curious and promising Swiss ideas.

A view on June 6 of the millions of tonnes of rock, ice and other debris that engulfed the mountain village of Blatten in the Lötschental valley after a local glacier collapsed on May 28.

The devastating glacier collapse in Blatten: what next?

This content was published on Jun 13, 2025 Two weeks after a landslide wiped out most of the Alpine village of Blatten, talk of reconstruction is picking up, but huge challenges remain.

Opinion

Swiss climate scientist: CO2 removal is tricky but essential

This content was published on Jun 11, 2025 Initiatives to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air are faltering – not because they don’t work, but because we fail to see opportunities and lack vision, says Swiss climate scientist Cyril Brunner.

The seven worst landslides in Swiss history

This content was published on Jun 2, 2025 A photo essay looking at some of the biggest landslide disasters in Swiss history.

Climate adaptation

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 Climate change puts glacier tourism at risk. How can this vital industry be saved for local communities? Here are some adaptation strategies.

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

Why climate change and wars are reviving interest in nuclear energy

This content was published on Jul 17, 2025 Is the Fukushima effect over? Here’s why there is renewed interest around the atom and which nations want to build new nuclear power plants.

Climate change puts Swiss tourism to the test

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 Climate change threatens tourism in Switzerland – and is partly caused by it. How can the industry become more sustainable?

A crack in a ski lift structure in the Swiss Alps caused by thawing permafrost.

New hope for cable cars and mountain huts threatened by permafrost collapse

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 A novel scientific solution being developed in Switzerland aims to stabilise mountain infrastructure endangered by climate change.

Climate misinformation is ‘muddying waters’ and delaying urgent action, experts warn

Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world

This content was published on Jul 10, 2025 Switzerland is particularly affected by climate change, with temperatures rising faster than in most other countries.

Fibre optics on glaciers open new frontiers for natural disaster predictions

This content was published on Jun 29, 2025 The fibre-optic cables we use to surf the Internet and make phone calls could help us predict a landslide or the collapse of a glacier.

Opinion

Climate scientist: overhyped carbon removal risks delaying urgent climate action

Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants

This content was published on Jun 25, 2025 As climate change threatens the Himalayas, Switzerland brings its Alpine disaster prevention expertise to India.

Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland

Volunteers collect waste (mostly plastic and Styrofoam) on the shores of Lake Geneva.

In Geneva, global accord in sight on plastics pollution

This content was published on Jul 29, 2025 Geneva is set to host final talks on a global treaty to curb plastics pollution. But major sticking points remain.

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 Climate change puts glacier tourism at risk. How can this vital industry be saved for local communities? Here are some adaptation strategies.

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

Beyond tariffs: how Switzerland turned trade talks into climate action with Mercosur

This content was published on Jul 18, 2025 After eight years, EFTA and Mercosur have a deal. But with such agreements facing public scrutiny, negotiators were keen to include protections – including environmental ones.

Risks remain as Switzerland weighs return to nuclear power

This content was published on Jul 17, 2025 Switzerland reconsiders nuclear power amid climate goals, but experts warn of hidden risks that show the complexities of clean energy today.

Why climate change and wars are reviving interest in nuclear energy

This content was published on Jul 17, 2025 Is the Fukushima effect over? Here’s why there is renewed interest around the atom and which nations want to build new nuclear power plants.

Climate change puts Swiss tourism to the test

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 Climate change threatens tourism in Switzerland – and is partly caused by it. How can the industry become more sustainable?

New hope for cable cars and mountain huts threatened by permafrost collapse

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 A novel scientific solution being developed in Switzerland aims to stabilise mountain infrastructure endangered by climate change.

Stabilising permafrost in the Swiss Alps

Permafrost thawing: protecting endangered mountain infrastructure in the Swiss Alps

This content was published on Jul 16, 2025 Elizaveta Sharaborova, a Swiss-based researcher, explains how her solar-powered prototype can stabilise thawing permafrost threatening Alpine infrastructure.

Climate misinformation is ‘muddying waters’ and delaying urgent action, experts warn

Extreme heat and drought are Switzerland’s top climate change risks

This content was published on Jul 10, 2025 Swiss authorities have identified dozens of climate-related risks in the coming decades. Swissinfo looks at the top heat and drought threats.

Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world

This content was published on Jul 10, 2025 Switzerland is particularly affected by climate change, with temperatures rising faster than in most other countries.

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

This content was published on Jul 8, 2025 The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) comes with environmental costs that are still largely hidden.

Fibre optics on glaciers open new frontiers for natural disaster predictions

This content was published on Jun 29, 2025 The fibre-optic cables we use to surf the Internet and make phone calls could help us predict a landslide or the collapse of a glacier.

Opinion

Climate scientist: overhyped carbon removal risks delaying urgent climate action

Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants

This content was published on Jun 25, 2025 As climate change threatens the Himalayas, Switzerland brings its Alpine disaster prevention expertise to India.

Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland

The devastating glacier collapse in Blatten: what next?

This content was published on Jun 13, 2025 Two weeks after a landslide wiped out most of the Alpine village of Blatten, talk of reconstruction is picking up, but huge challenges remain.

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?

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Jun 13, 2025

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In Blatten, in the Lötschental valley in Valais, an estimated nine million cubic metres of ice, mud and rock crashed down a nearby mountain on May 28, wiping out the village. The few houses that remained intact were later flooded.

Blatten: what price for preserving Swiss mountain life?

This content was published on Jun 11, 2025 Swiss debates on preserving Alpine life have intensified following the Blatten glacier collapse. Discover the discussion shaping mountain village futures.

Opinion

Swiss climate scientist: CO2 removal is tricky but essential

How does your country prepare for and respond to natural disasters?

Have you experienced natural disasters in your country of residence? How are these events predicted and responded to?

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Jun 6, 2025

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Climate refugees left in legal limbo

This content was published on Jun 3, 2025 “Climate refugees” are not recognised by international law. Should a new status be created to protect them?

The seven worst landslides in Swiss history

This content was published on Jun 2, 2025 A photo essay looking at some of the biggest landslide disasters in Swiss history.

What Trump’s climate science crackdown means for global forecasts

This content was published on May 28, 2025 Experts warn that cuts to US scientific agencies would hurt other nations’ abilities to accurately forecast the weather.

Why Iceland is becoming a glacier graveyard

This content was published on May 25, 2025 Iceland’s glaciers are among the fastest melting in the world. This causes not only the sea level but also the ground to rise.

Why do Swiss mountains collapse? It’s complicated

Why Swiss carbon-removal start-up Climeworks faces serious headwinds

This content was published on May 22, 2025 Climeworks adjusts its workforce amid DAC sector challenges. Explore the firm’s strategic pivots and long-term vision.

Opinion

Is solar radiation management worth the risk for climate-vulnerable countries?

This content was published on May 21, 2025 Countries in the Global South could benefit most from controversial solar geoengineering technologies. However, they also have the most to lose.

From the snow of Davos to the ice of the Arctic

The Swiss mega-project to transport freight underground

This content was published on May 15, 2025 Cargo sous terrain – an initiative to build an underground tunnel system for transporting goods around Switzerland – rethinks strategy.

Afternoon sunrays over the Granite Mountains, Wyoming, USA. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Jon G. Fuller / VWPics)

Is playing with the sun to fight climate change worth the risk?

This content was published on May 10, 2025 Reflecting the sun’s rays back to space to prevent climate change, known as solar geoengineering, is as controversial as it is intriguing.

Stranded ships on Lower Lake Constance in April. The water level was very low due to insufficient rain and meltwater.

Switzerland gets ready for increasing risks of severe drought

This content was published on May 9, 2025 A new national monitoring and warning system aims to ensure sufficient water for the future.

T-bar lift in Vers l’Eglise, part of the Télé Villars Gryon Diablerets resort, at 1100 metres altitude, March 2025.

Can Swiss ski resorts outrun climate change?

This content was published on May 2, 2025 Multi-resort ski passes are keeping skiers on the slopes. But more investment is necessary for Swiss resorts to remain sustainable.

The start-up Sun-Ways has installed solar panels between the rails of a railway line near Buttes, canton Neuchâtel. in western Switzerland.

Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants

This content was published on Apr 29, 2025 A Swiss start-up’s system to quickly install and remove solar panels between train tracks is now being tested.

Climate adaptation

Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world

Cooks at work in the kitchen, pictured during a look behind the scenes at Hotel Seedamm Plaza in Pfaeffikon, canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, on March 31, 2014. (KEYSTONE/Christian Beutler)

Foreign Affairs

In Switzerland four out of ten people have a migrant background – who are they?

Demographics

Suicides in Switzerland quadruple among older people

Criminals are targeting Swiss car dealerships

French gangs target luxury cars in Switzerland

The additional costs that Switzerland will incur when purchasing the US F-35 fighter jet continue to be a concern.

Swiss Politics

Renewed controversy in Switzerland over US fighter jets – explained

Swiss Abroad: How do you celebrate Swiss National Day where you live?

Do you have any special traditions for Switzerland’s birthday? Let us know where you live and how you usually celebrate.

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Jul 15, 2025

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Do you have Swiss ancestors? Are you planning to visit where they lived in Switzerland?

We’d love to hear more about your genealogical research.

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Jul 8, 2025

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41 Comments

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Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?

Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?

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Jul 21, 2025

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Climate solutions

More

Truth or tale: is Switzerland injecting harmful chemicals into the sky?

More

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

More

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

More

Fibre optics on glaciers open new frontiers for natural disaster predictions

More

Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants

More

Why Iceland is becoming a glacier graveyard

More

Why do Swiss mountains collapse? It’s complicated

More

From the snow of Davos to the ice of the Arctic

More

South America’s tropical glaciers are an endangered cultural heritage

More

Nepal and the Himalayas, the agony of glaciers on the roof of the world

More

The international consequences of a glacier-free Switzerland

More

Why the Swiss are leading efforts to track melting glaciers

More

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

More

Risks remain as Switzerland weighs return to nuclear power

More

Why climate change and wars are reviving interest in nuclear energy

More

Climate change puts Swiss tourism to the test

More

Climate misinformation is ‘muddying waters’ and delaying urgent action, experts warn

More

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

More

Climate scientist: overhyped carbon removal risks delaying urgent climate action

More

Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland

More

The devastating glacier collapse in Blatten: what next?

More

Swiss climate scientist: CO2 removal is tricky but essential

More

The seven worst landslides in Swiss history

More

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

More

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

More

Why climate change and wars are reviving interest in nuclear energy

More

Climate change puts Swiss tourism to the test

More

New hope for cable cars and mountain huts threatened by permafrost collapse

More

Climate misinformation is ‘muddying waters’ and delaying urgent action, experts warn

More

Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world

More

Fibre optics on glaciers open new frontiers for natural disaster predictions

More

Climate scientist: overhyped carbon removal risks delaying urgent climate action

More

Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants

More

Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland

More

In Geneva, global accord in sight on plastics pollution

More

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

More

What is the future of glacier tourism in a world with less ice?

More

Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

More

Beyond tariffs: how Switzerland turned trade talks into climate action with Mercosur

More