On Tuesday, Pro Natura, BirdLife Switzerland, the Swiss Heritage Society and the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Protection and Development launched the initiatives as they felt parliament had weakened regulations on protecting natural heritage.
According to the NGOs, more than 2,000 new buildings were constructed last year outside designated building zones, 400 of them for housing. They state that the second phase of the revision of the Planning Act presented by the government at the end of last year does not go far enough. The landscape initiative wants clear rules on construction outside designated building areas.
The biodiversity initiative calls on the government and the cantons to preserve and increase biodiversity in Switzerland. The initiators want a guarantee on the money and land needed to maintain biodiversity. According to the initiators, the government’s biodiversity action plan has serious shortcomings. The plan’s initial implementation phase – 2017 to 2023 – includes measures such as maintaining and rehabilitating existing protected areas as well as creating new forest reserves.
Supporters of the initiatives have until September 26, 2020 to collect at least 100,000 signatures to put the proposals to a nationwide vote.
Direct democracy
They are the latest attempts to amend the Swiss constitution as part of the country’s system of direct democracy. Five initiatives have been launched since the beginning of the year, while two other campaigns collected the necessary signatures and submitted them to the Federal Chancellery for validation in the past three months.
The non-profit Swisstransplant foundation wants to change the law to reverse the explicit ‘opt-in’ policy of consent by a potential organ donor and introduce the principle of presumed consent.
More
More
The dearth – and death? – of Swiss biodiversity
This content was published on
No matter how green and beautiful it appears in postcards and social media posts, Switzerland is struggling to boost its biodiversity.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Swiss committee wants to end government resignations during legislative term
This content was published on
Members of the Federal Council should no longer be able to leave office before the end of their term, according to a House of Representatives committee.
Swiss government seat: Ritter and Pfister nominated to succeed Amherd
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from St Gallen and Martin Pfister from Zug were officially nominated by the Centre Party on Friday to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
Top Swiss court rejects Russian request for administrative tax assistance
This content was published on
There is currently no reason to transmit banking information to the Russian Federation, the Swiss Federal Court has ruled.
After strike by radiologists, doctors demonstrate in Bern
This content was published on
Following a strike by radiology technicians in Fribourg, doctors, vets, dentists and chiropractors expressed their frustration on Friday outside parliament in the Swiss capital.
Eurovision and bleak world situation are top themes at Basel carnival
This content was published on
The Eurovision Song Contest and the gloomy global situation are among the main themes of Basel Fasnacht (carnival) this year.
Prices of Swiss investment properties continue to rise despite stagnating rents
This content was published on
Although rents in Switzerland stagnated or fell in the final quarter of last year, prices for investment properties continued to rise. Both apartment buildings and office properties have become more expensive.
Probe into wrong Swiss pension figures clears federal office
This content was published on
Employees of the Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) did not breach their duty of care when calculating pension prospects, an investigation has concluded.
This content was published on
Hotels in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino welcomed significantly more guests last December than in the same month of the previous year.
This content was published on
Biological diversity in Switzerland faces alarming challenges, with more endangered animals and plants than in most other European countries.
This content was published on
The Swiss government has earmarked CHF80 million per year to implement its biodiversity strategy. Environmental groups say it’s not enough.
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.