Federal Council sets climate targets, WWF demands more

The Paris climate agreement obliges all countries to submit reduction targets, K to develop a strategy for adapting to climate change and to align financial flows in a climate-friendly way. The Federal Council has decided that Switzerland will sign the agreement. The goal is to reduce Switzerland's greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below 1990 levels by 2030.

For national implementation, the Federal Council does not want to introduce any really new measures, but rather revise the CO2 Act and strengthen the instruments preserved therein:

• Continuation of the CO2 tax on fuels, which is increased depending on the development of emissions, with the possibility for greenhouse gas-intensive companies to be exempted;
• emissions trading system between large companies, to be linked to that of the EU before 2020 if possible (an agreement to this effect was initialed at the beginning of the year);
• Obligation of fuel importers to compensate a part of the traffic emissions with measures at home and now also abroad;
• Continue regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars in line with the EU;
• Temporary continuation of the building program, medium-term replacement by subsidiary CO2 regulations depending on a reduction path;
• Technology Fund to provide federal guarantees to innovative companies;
• Continuation of the legal basis for educational and communication measures;
• Further development of the national strategy for adaptation to climate change.

For the WWF, these targets do not go nearly far enough. It criticizes the fact that the Federal Council does not want to make an additional contribution. In addition, Switzerland's climate targets fall short in comparison with other countries: Just to keep up with the EU and the USA, Switzerland would have to reduce its CO2 emissions after 2020 twice as fast as the Federal Council is now planning. The climate targets agreed in Paris would even require a tripling of the pace.

The WWF is therefore calling for three more far-reaching measures:

• The Federal Council must make full use of the current CO2 law and expand the short-term climate target for 2020 to -40% in line with Paris.
• Transport is the number one climate problem in Switzerland. A reduction of subsidies for air traffic and a performance-based tax on passenger traffic on the road (similar to the HVF) will bring justice to the polluter and reduce emissions.
• For the period after 2020, Switzerland needs a climate target in line with the Paris Agreement.