Switzerland rejects campaign to ban fossil fuels, claiming it’s on course to hit 2050 net zero emissions target

The Swiss government has dismissed calls from the Glacier Initiative referendum drive to ban fossil fuels, saying the country is on course to meet its pre-established target of hitting net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Glacier Initiative, a climate action campaign group, submitted a message to the Swiss parliament on Wednesday, ordering the government to phase out fossil fuels, implement a linear reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and implement a framework for society and the economy by 2050.

In a swift response, the Swiss government rejected the proposal, declaring it unnecessary as the country is already on course to hit its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Despite rejecting the Glacier Initiative’s roadmap, the Swiss government accepted that the country “has a vested interest in limiting climate change,” but it claimed the proposal goes “too far” in “certain areas.”

Switzerland is strong in innovation and finance and therefore in a good position to achieve the net zero target by 2050.

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With Switzerland facing the brunt of climate change, as it experiences dry summers, heavy rainfall, and increasingly rare snow through the winter months, pressure has increased on the government to address the impact of global warming.

The Glacier Initiative has already secured enough signatures to force a binding national vote on the proposal to reduce greenhouse gases. In 2019, the group gathered 112,296, ensuring a vote will be held, currently set for 2024, on banning the sale of fossil fuels, including diesel, gasoline and oil, after 2050.

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