The Federal Council of Switzerland (the Swiss federal government) has decided to accelerate Switzerland’s decarbonisation trajectory, with a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050. The objective is to meet the internationally agreed goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C when compared with the pre-industrial era.
Previously, under the Paris Agreement, Switzerland pledged to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, and to lessen its carbon emissions by 70–85% by 2050. This target was set according to findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that global warming should be reduced by 2100 to less than 2°C in order to avoid serious consequences for humankind and biodiversity. Since the IPCC reported in 2018 that global warming of 1.5°C could also lead to serious changes in ecosystems, the Federal Council decided in consequence that Switzerland should not produce more greenhouse gases than can be absorbed naturally or by technical means by 2050.
This climate target, which ensures that Switzerland will contribute to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C, lays the foundations for its 2050 climate strategy. Switzerland also aims to reduce CO2 emissions from transport, buildings and industry by up to 95% by 2050 through existing technologies and the use of renewable energies.
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