Environmental movement in Switzerland

National demonstration for climate action, Bern, 2019.
Climate March, Geneva, 2018.

The environmental movement in Switzerland is represented by a wide range of associations (non-governmental organisations).

The article also present green politics and environmental policies of Switzerland.

Organisations

See also: List of environmental organizations

Organisations exist and act on local, cantonal, federal and international scales. Environmental non-governmental organisations vary widely in political views and in the way they seek to influence environmental behaviours and policies.

Governmental

Non-governmental

Political parties

Other social movements

Legislative policies for environment

Legislation

See also: Geography of Switzerland § International agreements

In 1874, an article to protect forests was introduced in the Swiss Federal Constitution.[8] In 1962, a constitutional article was introduced for the protection of nature.[8]

In 1967, the Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage introduced notably the right of appeal of environmental organizations ("entitlement to appeal", article 12) which gives all Swiss organizations concerned with nature protection the right to raise general objections or to file appeals against some projects.[9][10] The right of environmental organizations to appeal was later also included in the Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment (1985, article 55[11]) and the Federal Act on Non-Human Gene Technology (2004, article 28[12]).[10]

In 1971, a constitutional article for the protection of the environment was approved by 92.7 per cent of voters (article 24, currently article 74 of the constitution of 1999) and the Federal Office for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (renamed Federal Office for the Environment in 2006) was founded (as part of the Department of Transport, Communications and Energy).[13]

The Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments was introduced in 1977.

On 21 May 2017, 58 per cent of Swiss voters accepted the new Energy Act establishing the energy strategy 2050 (energy transition) and forbidding the construction of new nuclear power plants.[14]

Several federal popular initiative were launched to increase environmental protection. Several of them were accepted:[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Stephanie Summermatter: Protection of nature in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. (Page visited on 27 September 2016).
  2. ^ Alexis Schwarzenbach: WWF in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. (Page visited on 27 September 2016).
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Sébastien Roux and Cyprien Caddeo (25 October 2019). "La galaxie verte qui a porté la vague". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 25 October 2019..
  4. ^ Andrea Weibel: Greenpeace in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. (Page visited on 27 September 2016).
  5. ^ Thibault Nieuwe Weme (12 April 2022). "Les Grands-Parents pour le climat, en lutte " pour les petits-enfants du monde entier "". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 17 April 2022..
  6. ^ (in French) RTS Info, "Une association citoyenne lance une initiative pour préserver le climat", Radio télévision suisse, 25 August 2018 (page visited on 25 August 2018).
  7. ^ a b Ruedi Brassel-Moser: Greens in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. (Page visited on 27 September 2016).
  8. ^ a b (in French) Philippe Roch, article « Écologie en Suisse (histoire) » in Dominique Bourg and Alain Papaux, Dictionnaire de la pensée écologique, Presses universitaires de France, 2015, pages 325-328 (ISBN 978-2-13-058696-8).
  9. ^ Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage of 1 July 1966, status as of 12 October 2014, Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 4 October 2016).
  10. ^ a b (in French) Droit de recours des organisations, Federal Office for the Environment (page visited on 4 October 2016).
  11. ^ Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment of 7 October 1983, status as of 1 August 2016, Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 4 October 2016).
  12. ^ Federal Act on Non-Human Gene Technology of 21 March 2003, status as of 1 June 2014, Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 4 October 2016).
  13. ^ Environment in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. (Page visited on 27 September 2016).
  14. ^ Energy strategy 2050, Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (page visited on 21 May 2017).
  15. ^ (in French) Michel Guillaume, "L'économie Suisse prompt de verdict", Le Temps, Monday 26 September 2016, page 4. This article only shows the results of three vocations: the Rothenthurm initiative, the Alps initiative and the Franz Weber initiative.
  16. ^ (in French) Initiative Populaire fédérale 'pour la protection des Marais - Initiative de Rothenturm', Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 27 September 2016).
  17. ^ (in French) Initiative Populaire fédérale 'Halte à la construction de centrales nucléares (moratoria)', Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 27 September 2016).
  18. ^ (in French) Initiative Populaire fédérale 'pour la protection des régions alpines contre le Trafic de transit', Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 27 September 2016).
  19. ^ (in French) Initiative Populaire fédérale 'pour des aliments Produits sans manipulations génétiques', Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 27 September 2016).
  20. ^ (in French) Initiative Populaire fédérale 'pour en finir avec les constructions envahissantes de résidesecondariesires', Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (page visited on 27 September 2016).

Sources