Switzerland must have a new climate policy for the years 2025 to 2030. The Senate did not finish examining the new CO2 law on Monday, but it has so far largely followed the government project. No new taxes are planned.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Switzerland must reduce its emissions by half compared to 1990. A clear law is needed to do this, and a means to finance the instruments, said parliamentarian Damian Müller.
The project is based on the current CO2 law which Parliament extended until 2024. The government has planned funding of CHF4.1 billion for the five years. This money comes from the CO2 tax already levied on fuels at CHF120 per tonne of CO2.
The government will not introduce new taxes, having learned the lessons of the failed previous version in a vote more than two years ago, underlined Environment Minister Albert Rösti.
In its project, the Federal Council plans to achieve around two thirds of the emissions reductions in Switzerland and the remaining third abroad. Narrowly, by 22 votes to 20 and one abstention, Othmar Reichmuth failed to set the percentage of measures taken in Switzerland at 75%. According to him, this would have served the Swiss economy, through the promotion of “innovative” ideas and new technologies and methods.
For her part, Lisa Mazzone did not want the Confederation to be able to acquire international certificates to achieve the objectives. If Switzerland does not reduce its internal emissions enough by 2030, it will have to do so more drastically thereafter, she said.
In terms of mobility, concerning new passenger cars from 2030, the government plans that their CO2 emissions do not exceed 45% at most of the determining basic value of 2021. To the great dismay of the left and some centrists, the Senate supported this rate, wanting regulations similar to those of the EU. Proposals to lower this percentage to 25% and set a target of 0% emissions from 2035 were swept aside.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
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.
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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.
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.