Almost 2,000 people took part in climate demonstrations in the Swiss cities of Basel, St Gallen and Lausanne on Friday, as thousands of other protestors from Africa to Asia joined marches calling for action on climate change.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Over 1,000 people took to the streets of Basel in northwestern Switzerland, including many young people.
“We must convince everyone now that we have to act in favour of the climate,” one speaker told the crowds at the rally on Friday.
“The crisis concerns us all, whether we are from the right or the left.”
In St Gallen, in the northeast of the country, around 500 people, including many school children, marched in the city streets, criticizing the lack of action by Swiss politicians, banks and big business.
More
More
Parliament disrupted by climate protestors
This content was published on
Several dozen activists have interrupted a debate in the Swiss House of Representatives, unfurling a banner and singing a song of resistance.
In French-speaking Lausanne, 200 climate activists from the Extinction Rébellion sat down blocking the Bessières bridge in the city centre on Friday morning. They urged the Federal Council to “tell the truth” about the critical climate situation. Police removed the protesters and reopened the bridge in the evening.
This is not the first action by a Swiss branch of the Extinction Rebellion group. On September 10, activists poured a harmless green dye into the river flowing through Zurich in protest at “the impending collapse of our ecosystem”.
More
More
Activists dye River Limmat green in Zurich
This content was published on
Environmental activists poured green dye into the river flowing through Switzerland’s biggest city on Tuesday.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people around the world took part in a global climate strike to demand that world leaders take urgent action to avert an environmental catastrophe.
Protests kicked off in the Pacific islands, followed by Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia and then on to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
It is set to culminate in New York when 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg will spearhead a rally at the United Nations headquarters, where heads of government are due to gather for a climate summit next week.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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.
Read more
More
Parliament disrupted by climate protestors
This content was published on
Several dozen activists have interrupted a debate in the Swiss House of Representatives, unfurling a banner and singing a song of resistance.
Lausanne youth climate summit targets EU policymakers
This content was published on
A climate summit featuring Greta Thunberg has begun in Switzerland with the aim of launching a European citizens’ initiative to reduce emissions.
Greta Thunberg responds to her critics in Lausanne
This content was published on
The sixteen-year-old has dismissed claims that she is being manipulated, saying people should concentrate on the climate crisis rather than her.
July heatwave adds to one of hottest Swiss summers on record
This content was published on
The month of July, as well as the combined period of June-July, have been among the hottest ever on record in Switzerland.
How environmentally friendly are Swiss political parties?
This content was published on
Ahead the Swiss parliamentary elections in October, the main political groups are busy trying to show how much they care about the environment.
Swiss students join global climate strike demonstrations
This content was published on
Several Swiss cities have been hosting a coordinated climate strike by students, who are demonstrating against perceived inaction on global warming.
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.