Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga presenting the plans on Friday
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
The government plans to present a new revision of the CO2 law before the end of the year which is unlikely to contain any new taxes to fight climate change. In June, 51% of voters rejected an earlier revised CO2 law.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Swiss government/SWI swissinfo.ch/sb
On Friday the Federal Council (executive body) instructed the Federal Department of the Environment (DETEC) to draw up a new draft law to combat climate change.
The new draft legislation, which will cover the period until 2030, will contain a similar international climate target to the previous revision: to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of 1990 levels by 2030. But it has abandoned measures that led to the failure of the previous draft at the ballot box on June 13.
The basis will be the current law on CO2. But the new project should focus on incentives rather than new taxes, the Federal Council said in a statementExternal link on Friday.
Various financial incentives will be created to avoid “untimely investments and to reinforce ongoing developments”, it continued. There will be additional support measures for areas such as the building sector and electric car infrastructure.
The government also wants more companies to be exempted from paying a CO2 tax, provided that they undertake to reduce their own emissions.
Maintaining the target
“These different measures, combined with technological progress and the dynamics experienced by several sectors should make it possible to maintain the reduction target of 50% by 2030,” the government said.
The revision shows that the government is taking into account the population’s wishes, but we need to advance quickly, said Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga.
“The population wants to advance in protection of the climate but they don’t want to feel punished by the protection measures,” the minister told reporters in Bern. “The longer we wait the more difficult it becomes.”
On June 13 Swiss voters threw out a legal amendment to the CO2 law, including a surcharge on diesel and petrol, as well as a tax hike and a levy on plane tickets.
Last year emissions from fuel, including heating oil and gas, were 31% lower than 1990 levels, according to recent dataExternal link released by the Federal Office for the Environment. This is unchanged from 2019 and falls short of the required 33%.
As a result, a tax on CO2 will increase from CHF96 ($104) to CHF120 per tonne of emissions in 2022.
Under the CO2 regulations in place since 2008, a tax is gradually increased if the reduction target is missed.
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?
This content was published on
Geneva, which is facing several days of very hot weather, has raised its level of vigilance with regard to the risk of forest fires and is issuing an appeal for caution.
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss CO2 law defeated at the ballot box
This content was published on
Swiss voters have rejected legislation at the heart of the country’s strategy to abide by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
‘Green, but not too green’: press reacts to CO2 law failure
This content was published on
For the Swiss press, Sunday’s ballot box defeat of a proposed climate law is largely down to thrifty voters, as well as a growing urban-rural divide.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.