With over 11,000 full-time jobs, 24,000 hectares of land, 7,000 buildings and systems the army has an annual energy requirement of around 3,700 terajoules and CO2 emissions of 200,000 tonnes.
That’s similar to a town with a population of more than 30,000 according to a ministry statement.
The defence ministry’s Energy and Climate Action Plan outlines more than 60 sustainability measures to be implemented by 2030 at a cost of CHF650 million ($710 million).
They will focus most heavily on upgrading the army’s transport and building infrastructure. Fossil fuel powered vehicles will be replaced as much as possible by electric alternatives, while more sustainable fuels have been targeted for aircraft.
Oil heating in buildings will be replaced by alternative energy systems, such as photovoltaic solar panels.
The defence ministry said a previous sustainability schemes, which ran from 2004 to 2020, had surpassed expectations. The targets of that plan were to increase the share of renewable energies by 50% compared to 2001 to at least 240 TJ per year, to limit the consumption of conventional electricity at the 2001 level to a maximum of 570 TJ per year and to reduce CO2 Emissions by 20% compared to 2001.
The “Nature – Landscape – Army” programme has also been declared a success for protecting wildlife diversity and habitats on military land.
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.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
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The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
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The government says a proposed ban on the use of fossil energy resources is not necessary to reduce Switzerland’s net CO2 emissions to zero by 2050.
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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…
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The Senate has kicked off debates around a new CO2 law that proposes a range of measures for lowering Swiss carbon emissions.
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