Several climate activists from Renovate Switzerland temporarily blocked the Mont Blanc Bridge in Geneva on Saturday. They called on the government to speed up the thermal renovation of buildings.
The blockade of the road near the bridge at the railway station started at 2pm and ended at around 4pm, according to police. Four activists had glued their hands to the asphalt. Of those who took part in the action, the youngest was 20 and the oldest 77.
Six activists were arrested and taken to the police station. Traffic was disrupted for almost an hour-and-a-half.
Renovate SwitzerlandExternal link, which blocked the same stretch of road six months ago, is calling on the government to immediately allocate CHF4 billion ($4 billion) to retrain 100,000 people in thermal renovation jobs.
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Switzerland’s ‘disappointing’ contribution to an emissions-free planet
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If all countries had a climate policy like Switzerland’s, global temperatures could rise by 4°C by the end of the century.
Renovate Switzerland is the Swiss branch of a civil resistance movement that exists in a dozen other countries. The group says it will continue its protests until the government hears its demands.
It wants a national plan to renovate the one million homes that need urgent insulation by 2040 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The campaigners are also calling for subsidies for energy-efficient building renovation to reach CHF1 billion a year from 2023, which they say is five times more than at present.
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Swiss CO2 law defeated at the ballot box
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Swiss voters have rejected legislation at the heart of the country’s strategy to abide by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Switzerland condemned for deciding to deport gay Iranian
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Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
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A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
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The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
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A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
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In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
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Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
Swiss healthcare stakeholders want to save CHF300 million
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The main players in the Swiss healthcare sector want to save around CHF300 million ($340 million) in healthcare costs a year from 2026.
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UN climate report paints bleak picture for decades ahead
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Switzerland runs the risk of experiencing more heat waves, heavy rains, and droughts, said Sonia Seneviratne from the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich. “Affecting agriculture and ecosystems, these [extreme weather events] will increase in frequency and intensity in the western part of Central Europe, and thus in Switzerland, as global warming continues,” said Seneviratne…
Climate activists arrested for blocking Swiss oil refinery
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Climate activists who blocked the entrance to Switzerland’s main oil refinery were arrested on Monday by police and their barricade was removed.
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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.