Switzerland consumes nearly three planets’ worth of natural resources
Switzerland braoched its annual natural resources budget on May 13 this year.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
Switzerland has already consumed its fair share of the planet’s natural resources for the entire year, according to an NGO that compares the performance of numerous countries.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Português
pt
Suíça consome cerca de três planetas de recursos naturais
From May 13, Switzerland is taking more biocapacity than planet Earth can endure to remain healthy, says the international think tank Global Footprint Network.
Despite ‘Swiss Overshoot Day’ arriving within less than five months this year, Switzerland has improved its record. There is little difference from last year, but a decade ago the Alpine country reached this mark in mid-March.
Switzerland is a small country with a population of under nine million. But the advanced industrial nation punches above its weight in terms of natural resource consumption.
Wealthy Swiss residents like to drive large gas-guzzling cars and the construction industry consumes 56 million tons of raw materials each year.
Switzerland will consume 2.8 planets’ worth of natural resources by the year’s end, says Global Footprint Network.
Under the terms of the Paris Climate Accord in 2015, Switzerland set a new target of halving emissions compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and has the stated intention to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
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?
A tropical parasite spreads from Switzerland to Germany
This content was published on
A pest from the tropics is giving Swiss agriculture a hard time. The caterpillar of the tomato moth (Helicoverpa armigera) devours almost everything. The moth is now spreading northwards.
Over 10,000 people brave the rain for Geneva Lake Parade
This content was published on
The Lake Parade attracted more than 10,000 people to Geneva on Saturday afternoon in torrential rain. This techno and festive event took place in a reduced format and on an unusual reversed route because of the Women's Euro.
This content was published on
The Zurich cantonal police today arrested two men in Pfungen, a few kilometres from Winterthur (ZH), who were trying to rob a gun shop. Thefts in such businesses in Switzerland have multiplied recently.
Switzerland removes taxes from revised CO2 law proposal
This content was published on
Switzerland presents new plans to slash CO2 emissions with a changed focus on economic incentives, rather than fossil fuel taxes.
This content was published on
Climate change and biodiversity loss are locked in an interconnected cycle making global action essential, says the head of global conservation body.
Can Switzerland credibly call for ‘ambitious strategies’ at COP26?
This content was published on
Switzerland will push for all countries to commit to limiting global warming to 1.5°C at the COP26 conference that starts on October 31.
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.