Things are moving: How sustainability is finding its way into Swiss politics
Sustainability is increasingly being taken into account in Swiss politics, but certain hurdles continue to complicate the process. In June, an indirect counter-proposal to the Corporate Responsibility Initiative was approved by the National Council.
Recently, the Corporate Responsibility Initiative (KoVI) and its counter-proposal have kept Swiss politicians, or rather parliamentarians in Bern, very busy. After a five-hour discussion on numerous abuses caused by Swiss companies and their subsidiaries abroad (poisoning by pesticides, child labor, deforestation, etc.), the National Council again came out in favor of an indirect counter-proposal on June 13 (109 votes against 69 with 7 abstentions).
For a year now, parliamentarians have been juggling the initiative and its counter-proposal, which was rejected by the Council of States in March. This time, however, the SVP and FDP did not express a clear majority rejection, which led to the endorsement. As a supporter of the counter-proposal, öbu, the Association for Sustainable Business, welcomes this decision.
The corporate responsibility initiative not going far enough?
The social and ecological responsibility of companies should be regulated by law. The Swiss population would also support the regulation of corporate activities, shows a study by the ETH. However, implementation at the national level is problematic. Such a decision could lead to a disadvantage of the Swiss economy, claim the opponents of the initiative. Therefore, until now, an agreement of the National Council with the Council of States still seems difficult.
The supporters of the counter-proposal are divided into two camps: Those who advocate strict liability rules (SP, Greens, EVP) and those who find the counter-proposal too extreme, although they consider rules sensible (CVP, GLP, BDP). The indirect counter-proposal is rejected by some parties because it would directly affect the competitiveness of Swiss companies and jobs, such as the SVP and FDP.
After the 2019 summer session of the federal councils, it is the turn of the Council of States again: in the fall of 2019, it will once again decide on the indirect counterproposal.
Federal Law on Public Procurement
A fresh wind is also blowing in another area: on June 21, Parliament passed the Federal Law on Public Procurement (BöB). This step is the result of a revision process initiated over many years by a coalition of NGOs (including Public Eye, Bread for All, Helvetas, Swiss Fair Trade, etc.).
As a major consumer, the public sector is required to contribute to sustainable development, since the Confederation, cantons and municipalities spend 40 billion Swiss francs annually on goods produced abroad. In order to serve as a role model through its consumption behavior, the federal government is legally obligated after the revision through valid articles of purpose to make procurements that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible and compatible with health.
However, the parliament has also added another criterion to the law, which requires the consideration of different price levels in the production countries. Some NGOs, including Public Eye, now fear that this would mean sacrificing sustainability for competitiveness, as favorable production processes would often lead to poor working conditions and environmentally harmful activities.
What next?
The road to a successfully embedded and effective sustainability strategy in Swiss politics is still long - be it on the side of BöB or the counter-proposal to KoVI. Nevertheless, measures are being taken. Keep it up, says öbu! We support the counter-proposal to the Corporate Responsibility Initiative.
The Working Group "Sustainable Supply Chain" has been launched by öbu in cooperation with Global Compact Network Switzerland to disseminate knowledge and awareness on, among other things, human rights protection in the supply chain. If you are a manufacturing company and want to work in a closed group with like-minded people to improve sustainability in your supply chains, please contact weiss@oebu.ch
Read the öbu statement here.
