Swiss oil companies also obstructed climate action, study finds

For decades, Swiss fossil-fuel advocates have repeated a familiar set of arguments: petroleum is tied to the country’s quality of life, Switzerland is too small to influence global warming, and technological progress will solve climate change without major sacrifices.

A study by researchers at the University of Lausanne says these arguments formed part of a broader effort to delay climate action. The researchers examined the strategies of Avenergy Suisse, the umbrella association for Switzerland’s fuel importers. The group was formerly known as the Swiss Petroleum Union.

The study, published in the journal Climatic Change, focuses on methods used to oppose measures that conflict with the industry’s interests. The researchers describe it as the first study to examine this type of climate obstruction in Switzerland, where such methods have received little documentation.

The findings place Avenergy Suisse within a wider pattern associated with fossil-fuel promoters. Rather than simply disputing individual policies, the arguments presented in the study question whether Switzerland needs to act, whether its efforts could make a difference, and whether technology will eventually resolve the problem. The research examines how that messaging helped postpone action on climate change.