Parliament approves plans to cut CO2 levels
The Senate has followed the House of Representatives in aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2020 compared with levels in 1990.
Both chambers agreed that the cuts must be achieved solely through measures inside Switzerland.
The bill discussed on Tuesday is a counter-proposal by the government to an initiative by environmental groups calling for a 30 per cent cut in CO2 levels.
The Senate also came out in favour of a CO2 tax on petrol and diesel, despite opposition by members of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party and the centre-right Radical Party.
Environment Minister Doris Leuthard warned against over-ambitious targets, saying that a reduction of 20 per cent was already formidable.
Discussions on the reform are due to continue later this year. The revised law is to form the basis for Switzerland’s future climate policy.
Currently a CO2 tax is primarily levied on heating oil and gas to achieve a ten per cent reduction in emission levels.
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