COP26: rich Switzerland must take on more responsibility

Switzerland has enough money and technology to drastically reduce emissions and become a leader in international climate negotiations. But it needs to be more ambitious, says Ludwig Luz, president of the Swiss Youth for Climate group. 

This year’s UN climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow is the most important since COP21 in Paris in 2015. The latest IPCC publicationExternal link offers a dire outlook. Scientists do not contest climate change and the need to act fast: in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – the increasingly aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement – global emissions must be halved by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. 

The Paris Agreement requires its parties (i.e. almost all of the world’s national governments) to submit so-called nationally determined contributions (NDCs), or emissions reduction commitments; it also requires them to increase ambitions by updating these NDCs every five years. The first such update is scheduled for COP26 this year. But so far, only a handful of countries have introduced measures in line with the 1.5 degree target. Some major emitters have yet to submit their updated NDCs at the conference. 

Swiss Youth For Climate

Swiss Youth for ClimateExternal link was established in 2015 as a politically independent association, and has since built an extensive network in Switzerland and abroad. Its goals include committing to “pragmatic and responsible” climate policies at the national and international level and raising awareness among youth about climate issues and policy. Some of their representatives participate in international climate negotiations.

As one of the world’s richest countries, Switzerland must take on more responsibility. The revision of Switzerland’s CO2 law (which constituted the main climate policy instrument to implement the Paris Agreement on a federal level), and which contained ambitious emission reduction milestones to be reached on the way to net zero, was unfortunately rejected last June.

The more modest revision presented by the government, which relies on incentives and financial aid, will likely not be able to hit those milestones. It also doesn’t specify the percentage of emissions expected to be offset abroad: this is particularly bad since carbon offsets should only be used as a last resort when domestic cuts are impossible.

Yet Switzerland has the financial means, technological capabilities, and the innovation potential to cut emissions domestically and become a leader in international negotiations. 

For Switzerland and the rest of the world, the past year and a half has been tainted by another crisis: Covid-19. As a result, COP26 has been postponed by a year and vaccine inequity makes it challenging for representatives from lower-income countries to join at all; this applies especially to civil society representatives. As citizens of Switzerland, we are aware of our privilege and we will push our leaders to act accordingly in official negotiations. 

Mitigating global warming is crucial. But since the consequences of climate change are becoming inevitable, so is adaptation – by communities and natural habitats. Many countries are already feeling the impact of climate change and are facing losses and damages that must be managed in a socially just manner. As low-income countries are most severely impacted by climate change, it is especially important to support them financially. 

Back in 2009, developed countries pledged to provide $100 billion (CHF91 billion) per year by 2020 in financial support for mitigation and adaptation. That goal has not been met. Unless an alternative source of climate finance for low-income countries is found, the credibility of the developed world will be damaged, which is unacceptable in the face of what is at stake at COP26. The world’s richest 10% account for more than 50% of global emissions. Since they have the means to do so, rich countries must take the largest share of responsibility to set ambitious reduction targets and respect the Paris Agreement. 

Another goal of this COP is to improve collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society. Negotiations between international leaders are important, but they cannot only happen between politicians behind closed doors. Businesses also must take responsibility, while civil society’s voice has to be heard, as this fosters transparency and accountability. For the first time, the COP26 presidency established a civil society and youth advisory council to nurture inclusive negotiations. We salute the effort and hope that the voice of youth will be taken seriously and that the process will not simply follow tokenistic goals.   

We expect all the more ambitious targets and a rapid implementation of climate policies to cut down emissions in Switzerland and worldwide. The Covid-19 crisis has shown us that a change is needed – we demand a green recovery instead of a return to the unsustainable past. Decision makers worldwide and our parliamentarians need to realize that the decisions they are making today will affect all future generations. Time is running out; we need to act now! 

*The text was written by Ludwig Luz with Clémence Ruegsegger, Jean-Valentin de Saussure, Miklós Veszprémi and Samia Borra

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of SWI swissinfo.ch.