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Swiss vehicle emissions maintain post-pandemic downturn

traffic jam
Traffic jams are on the rise in Switzerland; but CO2 exhaust emissions are going down. © Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Last year, CO2 emissions from petrol and diesel engines fell 1.1% to reach a level 8% lower than in 2019, officials said on Tuesday.

Compared with 1990, the reference year for climate targets, such emissions have dropped by 5.5%, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) reported.

The share of biofuels has meanwhile risen, and represented 3.4% of fuels in 2022, compared with 3.3% in 2021.

+ Switzerland in 2050: portrait of a climate-neutral country

The office said that the Covid-19 pandemic has left a mark on mobility habits, notably with the rise of home office and a downturn in business trips.

In addition, more and more electric vehicles are on Swiss roads, FOEN said.

Emissions due to burning fossil fuels, predominantly oil and gas, also continued to fall in 2022 – by 4.9% percent with the previous year. According to FOEN, the main reasons were improved energy efficiency of buildings and more widespread use of renewable energies for heating. A national energy-saving campaign launched last year also played a role, it said – as did high energy prices.

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