PETITION TEXT
Climate protection must take place in Switzerland
Preserving our mountains and glaciers requires immediate action in favour of climate protection. The outdoor community calls on the Federal Council to implement an ambitious climate policy and to reduce emissions in a targeted manner here in Switzerland, rather than shifting the problem abroad.
Our Alpine landscapes are in danger
As a community of mountain and outdoor enthusiasts, we are deeply committed to the beauty of our alpine landscapes and the preservation of our environment.
Today, these natural spaces are in danger. Climate change is melting glaciers, destabilizing mountains, disrupting ecosystems, and threatening our quality of life. The consequences of global warming are already clearly visible and will continue to worsen if we do not act quickly.
Taking responsibility for emissions here in Switzerland
Yet our climate policy lacks ambition, and Switzerland continues to rely heavily on emission reductions carried out abroad to meet its national climate targets. This is not sufficient. To preserve our mountains, we must begin by finding solutions at home, in Switzerland.
We therefore call on the Federal Council to adopt a strong and coherent climate policy, based on the implementation of concrete and ambitious measures at the national level. To achieve our national climate targets, emissions produced in Switzerland must also be reduced within our borders.
The new CO₂ law: an opportunity for a responsible future
The new CO₂ law, currently in preparation, is a crucial opportunity to set the course for a Switzerland firmly committed to a climate-responsible future. By acting now, we can still ensure that Switzerland meets the commitments it made when signing the Paris Agreement.
For our mountains, for our glaciers, for our future: let us work together for a climate policy that is equal to the challenge – here in Switzerland.
FAQ
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Under the Paris Agreement, Switzerland committed to limiting global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, by cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. At present, however, Switzerland’s climate policy is far from achieving these goals.
In mid-September, the Federal Council presented its plans for Switzerland’s climate policy after 2030. Once again, it Is clear that our government is still not taking the current challenges seriously. In particular, there are no concrete measures to decarbonize road traffic or to transform the financial sector.
If all countries behaved like ours, global temperatures could rise by 3°C. More frequent heatwaves, increased periods of extreme precipitation, mass extinction of species — such a rise in temperature would have severe consequences for the planet as well as for an alpine country like ours. Considerable effort is therefore still needed for Switzerland’s climate policy to rise to the challenge.
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Our petition focuses on the emissions generated on Swiss soil, within our borders. We call for these emissions to be eliminated domestically and for this to be clearly specified in the new CO₂ Act currently being drafted.
According to the CO₂ Act in place until 2030, only two-thirds of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions must actually be reduced within the country; the remaining third can be offset through projects implemented abroad. In mid-September, the Federal Council confirmed the strategy adopted to date by announcing it would continue to rely on such offsets abroad in the future. This is despite the fact that it is now established that these projects are generally very costly and that their effectiveness is questionable in most cases.
We are committed to ensuring that climate protection is finally implemented here in Switzerland. The longer we delay the implementation of effective measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the price future generations will have to pay.
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The CO₂ Act is a cornerstone of Swiss climate policy. Alongside the Climate and Innovation Act, it forms the main legal basis Switzerland relies on to meet its climate goals. While the Climate and Innovation Act sets long-term targets—halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050—the CO₂ Act sets out the concrete measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland.
Using a combination of different instruments, the CO₂ Act primarily targets the transport and building sectors as well as the use of fossil heating fuels (natural gas, heating oil) and motor fuels (gasoline, diesel).
The CO₂ Act is regularly revised and adjusted to ensure that its measures align with Switzerland’s climate commitments. The current version will expire in 2030. The CO₂ Act for the period 2031–2040 is already being prepared in Bern, with the Federal Council's official message to Parliament expected in June 2026.
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The new CO₂ Act is Switzerland’s last chance to adopt an ambitious climate policy before it is too late to meet the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
In Switzerland, we are all directly affected by global warming. Our country is warming twice as fast as the global average, leading to a rise in the snow line, accelerated glacier melt, and an increase in natural hazards such as mudslides and rockfalls.
Protecting the climate means preserving our landscapes, our identity, our economy, and our very foundations of life for future generations. There is no time left to lose.
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Glaciers are both witnesses to and direct victims of global warming. Between the 1930s and 2016, Swiss glaciers lost nearly half of their volume — and since then, the melting has only accelerated. In 2025 alone, glaciers lost 3% of their mass.
Without effective climate policy, scientists estimate that nearly all Swiss glaciers will have disappeared by the end of the century. While the fate of the smaller glaciers is unfortunately already sealed, the larger glaciers can still be saved. Ambitious climate protection measures could preserve around a quarter of the ice that remains today, especially at high altitudes.
