Swiss scientists are working hard on technology to extract CO2 from the air to combat climate change. Since they began their work on the technology they have already halved the cost to between US$ 400 and 600 a tonne, reported SRF this week. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by the second […]
Swiss to vote on renewable electricity this weekend
Switzerland doesn’t produce enough electricity to meet its needs, particularly in winter when demand is highest. To keep the lights on it imports electricity from its neighbours, much of it produced with polluting fuels. This leaves Switzerland reliant on its neighbours and acts as a drag on its climate progress. To remedy this, the government […]
Switzerland remains a country of car commuters
Data published this week, shows that half of Swiss workers travel to and from work by car, despite a push to get commuters to switch to public transport to meet climate targets. Federal Statistical Office data shows that around 80% of the nation’s 5 million workers were required to travel to work in 2022. Of […]
Winter avalanche deaths above Swiss average
Over the last 20 years, there have been an average of 21 avalanche deaths per year in Switzerland. During the winter of 2023/24, 23 lives were cut short by avalanches, according to data published by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (WSL) in Davos, a figure slightly above average. At 261, the number […]
Bumper season for Swiss mountain lift companies
The recent winter season was positive for Switzerland’s mountain resort lift operators. However, the picture was mixed with low altitude resorts missing out on much of the joy, reported Switzerland’s mountain lift association this week. By the end of April 2024, the number of first-time visitors to Swiss ski areas overall was up 3% compared […]
Might record snow levels increase Swiss flood risk?
Winter and recent spring snowfalls have brought record amounts of snow to Switzerland. Experts ponder whether this could lead to floods as it did in 1999. Snowfall in Switzerland this winter was contrasted by altitude. Down low (below 2,000m) there was significant rain, leaving many low altitude ski resorts short of snow. However, above 2,000m […]
Recent cold threatens Swiss grape harvest
The severe drop in temperatures across Switzerland last week froze large areas of wine grape vines. Parts of Vaud and Geneva have been particularly hard hit, reported RTS. Wine growers now fear for their coming grape harvest. While it is too soon to quantify potential harvest damage, one farmer in the canton of Geneva reported […]
Switzerland breaks electricity record in 2023
Electricity production in Switzerland rose by 13.5% in 2023, reaching a new record of 72.1 billion kWh, reported the Federal Office of Electricity (FOE). Production from both hydropower plants (+21.7%) and nuclear plants (+1%) was higher. Hydro (56.6%) and nuclear (32.4%) made up 89% of the total. The remaining 11% came from thermal and renewable sources. The […]
Swiss buying ever larger cars
According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), nearly 35,000 new vehicles were put into circulation across Switzerland in March 2024. And while this figure is 5% below the number in March 2023, the size of private vehicles rose, a now well established trend. The only group of private vehicles rising in number was non-plug-in hybrids […]
Swiss government surprised by ECHR climate change ruling
This week, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled the Swiss government violated the Human Rights Convention on climate change in a case brought by a climate organisation and four Swiss women claiming to be victims of insufficiently mitigated climate change. Eight years ago, a group of Swiss senior citizens, known as the Climate […]