THEODORA PETER December 2015 was a “historic step” – the moment when the international community agreed in Paris to work together to combat climate change and its devastating consequences. The aim was to limit global warming to well below 2°C. To achieve this ambitious goal, the world must substantially reduce environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2 within the next few decades. The euphoria of Paris has faded over the years. Many countries have fallen behind their emissions targets. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, Switzerland to deliver on a long-standing climate pledge – depending on what voters say More than seven years on from the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, the Federal Council and parliament have approved a climate bill. On 18 June, voters will decide whether the legislation comes into force. The SVP opposes the new law. and the energy crisis have shifted priorities. Political efforts to fight climate change have also stalled in Switzerland. Voters most recently rejected a beefed-up CO2 Act in 2021, which would have introduced a green levy on fossil fuels (see “Swiss Review” 4/2021). Carbon neutral by 2050 Heat waves and extreme weather continue to illustrate how urgently action needs to be taken. The sustained acceleration in the glacier melt rate has become the poster child of climate change in Switzerland. Researchers predict that most ice masses in the Alps will have been lost by the end of this century. But there is still time to curb global warming, say scientists. The Federal Council and parliament have now agreed on framework legislation that sets out the path to Switzerland reaching net zero by 2050. The bill calls for harmful greenhouse gas emissions to be cut in stages. Specific reduction targets will apply to industry, motorised traffic, and buildings. Massive investment in zero-carbon technology will be needed. To Swiss Review / May 2023 / No.3 10 Politics
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