The amended constitutional clause demands that the cantonal and local authorities take steps to slow down climate change and work towards climate neutrality by 2050.
Sunday’s vote was in response to public climate protests launched in 2019 and pressure notably by the Green Party.
Bern is only the second of the country’s 26 cantons – after Geneva -to include climate goals in their cantonal constitution. Several other cantons are currently drafting amendments to their constitutions.
Similar moves are underway at a national level to include zero CO2 emissions as a goal into the Swiss constitution.
Three months ago, Swiss voters rejected a CO2 tax, including price hikes for petrol and other fuels. The reform was aimed at cutting by half the country’s CO2 emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Various heads of state confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
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The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
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In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
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A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
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The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
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Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
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TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
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The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
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Swiss CO2 law defeated at the ballot box
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Swiss voters have rejected legislation at the heart of the country’s strategy to abide by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
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The government plans to present a new revision of the CO2 law before the end of the year - most likely without new taxes to fight climate change.
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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.