Switzerland hits Overshoot Day 20 days earlier this year
Switzerland has used up its resources for the whole year
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Listening: Switzerland hits Overshoot Day 20 days earlier this year
Switzerland has already exhausted its natural resources for the year as of this Wednesday. This year’s Swiss Overshoot Day falls 20 days earlier than in 2024.
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Schweiz hat ihre Ressourcen für das ganze Jahr aufgebraucht
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Starting on Wednesday, Switzerland will be living “on credit” for future generations, according to the #Movethedate Switzerland movement. If everyone on Earth lived like the Swiss, we would need 2.9 planets to sustain us.
The Swiss have a notably high environmental footprint. Compared to other countries, this impact is particularly evident in areas like transport, housing, food and the heavy consumption of imported goods, including electronic devices.
While individual efforts are crucial, they can only cut up to 20% of the climate and resource impact, the report states. The remaining 80% is influenced by policies and investment choices in key areas like energy, transport, food and the circular economy.
More
Swiss CO2 emissions: Small country, big footprint
The much-lauded Swiss quality of life has a dark side – namely levels of consumerism and convenience that jack up the national carbon footprint.
To mark Swiss Overshoot Day, Greenpeace activists and design students from Zurich University of the Arts unfurled a 70-metre-long receipt in Zurich’s Old Town. The receipt, featuring 127 questions on environmental protection and economic growth, symbolises the 127 days it took Switzerland to exhaust its natural resources.
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