Opinion: Switzerland should not shrink itself with its energy policy

Switzerland's upcoming climate policy consultation for the period after 2030 is more than a technical update; it's a pivotal decision, according to an opinion piece in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The government aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, with a significant reduction target for 2040. The proposed path includes expanded emissions trading and CO2 capture and storage, without new taxes.

The author contends that this direction, once established through administrative processes, investments, and international agreements, will be difficult to reverse. The piece questions the efficacy of Switzerland's climate efforts, noting the nation's share of global emissions is a mere one-thousandth. Even halving this contribution would result in a negligible decrease in worldwide emissions, deemed neither measurable nor climatically impactful.

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The path to get there is still open, but the Federal Council has already outlined it in its plans: expanded emissions trading, a legal framework for the capture and storage of CO2, no new taxes.

In contrast, the financial burden is substantial. Switzerland already imposes one of the world's highest CO2 taxes and allocates approximately 2 billion Swiss francs annually for subsidies. Future projections suggest that decarbonization could dampen economic growth and wages, while also eroding a reliable state revenue source from mineral oil taxes. The article argues that the global benefit is unproven, yet the impact on citizens' lives is already palpable.

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The burden is already noticeable in people's lives.

The commentary asserts that current climate policy makes Switzerland "poorer, less free, and more backward." It becomes poorer as businesses face costs their international competitors do not bear, diminishing economic substance. It grows less free as essential regulations shift from legislation to ordinances, adopted EU law, and court rulings that prioritize climate protection over popular sovereignty. It falls behind as policies mandate specific technologies and disadvantage alternatives, tethering the country to outdated solutions.

The core issue, the author argues, is not the choice of methods but the scale of ambition. Current climate policy is measured by its success in reducing human-caused emissions, rather than by its actual impact on the global climate or its cost-benefit ratio for the nation. The piece suggests a re-evaluation is needed to align national efforts with tangible global outcomes and economic realities.

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Climate policy makes our country poorer, less free, and more backward.