Swiss Review 4/2019

Swiss Review / July 2019 / No.4 10 CO 2 emissions in Switzerland are falling The analyses presented in April reveal that between 1990 and 2015 the emission of climate-damaging CO 2 decreased by a good 10 per cent despite a simultaneous increase in the population. CO 2 emis- sions per head are less than half as high as those in the other industrial states. This is the good news. The bad news is that upon closer inspection, Switzerland’s ecological footprint is well above the global average. As the Swiss economy imports a lot of CO 2 -intensive products from abroad, around 80 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by Swiss consumers occur outside Swit- zerland. The struggle for a full revision of the Swiss CO 2 law is in full swing in Switzerland. This should result in substantial decreases in CO 2 emissions. There are disputes as to how Switzerland will con- tribute to future CO 2 reductions: mainly abroad or predominantly in Switzerland. While the National Council has avoided setting a domestic goal to date, the Council of States has been able to agree that at least 60 per cent of the reduction should be in Switzerland. At least, that is what the advisory committee suggests. (MUL) Focus declares herself a vegetarian. At the same time, Dolder sees the limitations of individual action: “It is not enough for individuals to act alone. Policy defi- nitely needs to play a part.” Politicians must lead the way so that pre-defined goals can be achieved together: “We need to ensure that climate protection is afforded far more importance than it is now in order for it to bemore than just a family hobby.” Wide debate, new perspective Some are embracing the climate youth movement, while others are punishing them by setting bounda- ries. Both reactions originate from the same reference point – the climate is- sue. This is why the topic is becoming more and more prominent in the political debate, and is increasingly being regarded from new angles. For example, the progressive and busi- ness-friendly “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ) recently explained on its front page that digitalisation is incorrectly understood as being part of the solu- tion to the climate problem. On the contrary, it is part of the problem. Due to increasing streaming volumes, communication technology is now re- sponsible for 3.7 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That is around twice asmuch as civil aviation. With a sidelong glance at the youth, the NZZ lectures that: “Streaming is the newflying.” Anyone who streams a video multiplies the energy con- sumption of their smartphone by a factor of 1,500, it says. “We all consume a huge amount” Wirada Läderach always has her smartphone with her. Yes, many of to- day’s young people are actually “com- fortable, complacent children of a con- sumer society”. However, at the same time, they are a generation which moves around and looks for new in- sights. For her that means something along the lines of: “Flying is great; how- ever, it is just not anoption for the next trip.” The terms ‘consumer’ and ‘con- sumer society’ are also part of the rep- ertoire of Sophie Feuz. Her protest banner, which bears the marks of reg- ular use, reads “Revolution instead of consumerism”. By that shemeans that consumption, which is often thought- less, is an enormous driver of climate change: “We all consume a huge amount and so cheaply.” The challenge is therefore to question one’s own con- sumption and to stand for true-cost pricing, i.e. to pay a price that covers the real costs of a particular product. When it comes to truth isn’t it a little too easy just to wag school and sell it as a political act? Sophie Feuz’s reply is to the point. It is “rather embarrassing” and “above all incorrect” to spread such a picture. Anyone who wants to strike must submit a proper dispensa- tion application and also receives a lot of additional homework to do. It is re- ally easier not to strike. She had to write a presentation on “anthropo- genic climate change” on top of her usual work. That was a challenge as her class teacher is a geologist and an expert on the topic: “There is no way I can just write a load of rubbish.” Out and about with Linus, Sophie and Wirada Further pictures of the young people por- trayed in this edition, Linus Dolder, Sophie Feuz and Wirada Läderach are available online at www.revue.ch. The gallery is sup- plemented with images of the last Swiss school climate strike. The following small parties represented in the Na- tional Council were not included in the party survey: Swiss Evangelical People’s Party, EVP (2 seats), Tici- no League (2 seats), Geneva Citizens’ Movement, MCG (1 seat), Partei der Arbeit, PdA (1 seat) as well as the Independents (2 seats). (TP)