Switzerland Referendum: Voters Back Carbon Cuts

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Facts

  • On Sunday, voters passed a national Swiss referendum to establish a minimum corporate tax as well as a target to cut fossil fuel use and reach zero emissions by 2050.1
  • With approximately 42% participation, 59.1% of voters agreed with the green energy proposals, aimed at moving away from imported oil and gas, while 78.5% agreed with raising corporation tax to 15%.2
  • This spring Switzerland was 1.5°C warmer than the 1961-90 average, with temperatures 3°C warmer in March. The law, named the Climate Protection Targets, Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security Act passed parliament in September 2022 but had faced opposition from the right-leaning Swiss People's Party.3
  • The Swiss People's Party claimed that the measure would cause electricity prices to rise and damage the economy, calling the bill an "electricity-wasting law." The bill will dedicate 2B Swiss francs ($2.2B) over a decade to green energy.4
  • The climate bill stemmed from a proposal in 2018 named the Glacier Initiative, which was withdrawn from a referendum by its organizers on the condition of a government counter-proposal. Following the accumulation of over 50K signatures, the Swiss government was required to seek a public vote over their bill.5
  • In response to the approval, Swiss glaciologist Matthias Huss tweeted that the Swiss population had sent out a "strong signal," stating that he was quite pleased the voices of climate scientists "were heard." Switzerland saw a 6% decrease in the volume of its glaciers in 2022, a record for the country.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2BBC News, 3Euronews, 4France 24, 5Le News, and 6DW.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by ETH Zürich. Emissions must be reduced in Switzerland if a climate disaster is to be avoided. Reaching net zero is doable, but certainly challenging. Social and political change is necessary now. Dependent on the embracing of practical compromises and a move away from fossil fuels, Switzerland has everything it needs for such a transition to occur for the sake of a better future.
  • Right narrative, as provided by Die Weltwoche. The parties supporting drastic action against climate never learn from their mistakes, consistently becoming victims of the idealistic and unsuccessful expectations they continue to set for themselves. As fossil fuels and nuclear power are phased out, we will see an inevitable and destructive energy cost crisis in Switzerland.

Predictions