In its revision of the CO2 ordinance to mitigate global warming, the government had agreed to lower the limit on CO2 emissions to 95g/km from 2020. However, this year car importers can exclude 15% of the most polluting vehicles from their calculations, and 10% of them next year. The idea is to give struggling car dealers a break during what has been a difficult economic year.
The European Union is stricter in comparison. Its car importers can exclude 5% this year, and there will be no exemptions in 2021.
According to Swiss regulations introduced in 2012, newly registered passenger cars were not supposed to exceed 130g of CO2 per kilometre through the end of 2019. But last year, CO2 emissions from new cars were over 138g/km.
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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.
This the fourth consecutive year that Swiss car importers have missed the CO2 reduction target. More than half of new vehicles registered in Switzerland are 4x4s. Critics say the sanctions, amounting to about CHF250 ($277) for each car exceeding the limit, are too low to be taken seriously by dealers or consumers.
Road transport – including buses, service and delivery vehicles – accounts for about 40% of CO2 emissions in Switzerland.
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New cars on Swiss roads failed to meet emissions targets
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CO2 emissions limits for new cars in Switzerland missed their target in 2019 for the fourth year in a row.
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The Climate Change Performance IndexExternal link (CCPI), presented on Tuesday at the UN climate change conferenceExternal link in Madrid, compares the performance of 61 countries that account for 90% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Switzerland has scaled up its climate strategy ambitions, saying that it aims to become climate neutral by 2050. It has…
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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