Climate law: Switzerland’s energy transition goes to a national vote
The Swiss go to the polls on June 18 to decide on the new climate law. The plan calls for Switzerland to accelerate the transition to renewable energies and reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
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I manage a multilingual team responsible for covering the Swiss Abroad, providing them with the information they need to participate in political life in Switzerland.
After studying political science in Neuchâtel and Bern, I started out in multimedia journalism at SwissTXT and RTS. Since 2008, I've been working at SWI swissinfo.ch, where I've held various journalistic and management positions.
My work is focused on making videos and podcasts about science and technology topics. I specialize in developing explainatory video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles.
I studied filmmaking and animation at Zurich University of the Arts and began working as a video journalist at SWI swissinfo.ch in 2004. Since then I have specialised in creating different styles of animation for our visual products.
I have a wealth of experience as a journalist working in Switzerland and enjoy producing videos, articles and podcasts on a range of subjects, recently focused mainly on politics and the environment.
Born in the UK, I studied law at Nottingham University, then went on to attend the first-ever post-graduate radio journalism college in London. After working as a radio journalist in the UK and then Switzerland from 1984 to 1995, I returned to the UK to complete a post-graduate diploma in film at Bournemouth Film School. I have been working as a video journalist ever since.
The new law was accepted by parliament in September 2022. It stipulates that Switzerland must achieve a net zero emissions balance (climate neutrality) by 2050. This means that Switzerland must not emit more greenhouse gases than it absorbs via natural carbon sinks, such as forests, or technical means (CO2 capture and removal technologies).
However, this new law faces opposition from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, the largest national political party, which successfully launched a referendum. The People’s Party describes this new law as an “electricity sinkhole” and harmful to the economy and the population. The party argues that achieving climate neutrality by 2050 effectively means banning petrol, diesel, heating oil and gas.
In parliament, the text, which acts as a counter-project to the Glacier Initiative, was supported by all the other major parties. In their view, the climate law will allow Switzerland to free itself from fossil fuels and benefit from greater energy independence. Investments in innovative technologies and processes will also create jobs, say parties supporting the new law.
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