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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Switzerland rejects law on carbon emissions cuts

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Switzerland rejects law on carbon emissions cuts
Switzerland rejects law on carbon emissions cuts

Swiss voters rejected a trio of environmental proposals on Sunday, including a new law intended to help the country meet its goal for cutting carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Jayson Albano reports.

Swiss voters rejected key climate change measures in a nationwide referendum on Sunday.

That included a new law that was intended to help the country meet its goal for cutting carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement.

The new CO2 law was narrowly rejected with just over 51% of voters opposing it.

Under that law, surcharges on car fuel would have been increased, and a levy on flight tickets imposed.

But opponents said that would not help the environment, as Switzerland is responsible for only 0.1% of global carbon emissions.

Instead they said it would only increase business costs.

The result was a defeat for the Swiss government, which supported the new law.

The Environment Minister said it would now be 'very difficult' to reach its 2030 goal of cutting carbon emissions to half of their 1990 levels and to become net neutral by 2050.

Swiss voters also rejected two other environmental proposals.

One was to reduce the use of pesticides by offering subsidies to farmers who do so.

The other proposal would have banned artificial pesticides outright.

Separate referendums on a new anti-terrorism law, and another providing financial support for businesses during the global health crisis wereapproved on Sunday.

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