Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Majority of Swiss have no qualms about flying, says survey

plane
Keystone/gaetan Bally

Despite climate change, 58% of Swiss do not feel guilty about flying, according to a recent survey

In total, around half of those questioned said they wanted to fly abroad this summer, reported the Le Matin DimancheExternal link and the SonntagsZeitung External linkon Sunday. Of these, 58% said they had no guilty conscience. 

The over-65s were the age category least likely to fly (44%) with 45% admitting to feeling guilty about it. On the other hand, 18–35-year-olds were the ones most likely to fly this summer (59%) but only 31% had a guilty conscience about it.

There were also disparities in terms of political orientation. Only one in five respondents to the right and centre of the political spectrum said one should be ashamed of flying. This figure rises to 53% for supporters of the Social Democrats, 57% for the Liberal Greens and 71% for the Greens.

+ Swiss approve net-zero climate law

A total of 13,660 Swiss residents were surveyed by LeeWas Institute on behalf of Tamedia and 20 Minuten media from June 15-18.

Prior to the Covid-19  pandemic, the average Swiss flew about 9,000km per year, twice as much as 20 years ago. The number of air travelers has increased in recent years. Pre-Covid-19, flying accounted for 10% of Swiss CO2 emissions, considerably more than the global figure of 2.5%.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

More heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

More

Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

This content was published on Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).

Read more: Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
The Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen, Switzerland.

More

Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland

This content was published on A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.

Read more: Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
Dieselgate scandal: In 2015 it emerged that millions of VW diesel-powered vehicles had been manipulated to pass environmental standards.

More

Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case

This content was published on The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.

Read more: Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case
Employment prospects remain stable in the fourth quarter

More

Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable

This content was published on The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.

Read more: Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida.

More

Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

This content was published on A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.

Read more: Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR