Young people from Climate Strike Action on Thursday unfurled a banner in the public gallery saying “It’s the final countdown – 16 months left”. They sang the Eighties pop song The Final Countdown before launching into their own version of the Italian folk song Bella Ciao, adopted as an anthem of the anti-fascist resistance by Italian partisans during the Second World War.
The campaigners said that in order to limit temperature warming to 1.5°C, a reduction in emissions had to be initiated by the end of 2020 at the latest. This leaves only 16 months to take the necessary measures, they said.
“The stunt should wake up the decision-makers and show that young people – some of whom can’t even vote yet – are demanding an ambitious climate policy and a comprehensive plan. Parliament is discussing measures, but there’s no time left for discussing,” an activist told the Swiss news agency, Keystone-SDA.
Despite warnings from the speaker of the House, Marina Carobbio Guscetti, the protestors continued singing and did not roll up the banner. The session was therefore suspended for several minutes.
Security then intervened and escorted the protestors, who did not offer any resistance, into a room and took down their details.
Carobbio said after consultation with the police authorities she would not take any legal steps against the demonstrators.
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.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
COP29: Swiss NGOs call for strong financial support
This content was published on
Ahead of COP29, Swiss NGOs call for wealthy nations to pay $1,000 billion a year to help other countries solve climate problems.
Real Swiss wages likely to rise in 2025, says UBS bank
This content was published on
Higher wages and falling inflation are likely to boost Swiss purchasing power, which will be dragged back by rising health premiums.
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new tectonic map at a scale of 1:500,000, containing updates to geometry, distribution and nomenclature of the tectonic units.
This content was published on
Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri, known for his artworks using leftover food with dirty cutlery and crockery, has passed away in Vienna at the age of 94.
Climate change tipped to alter Swiss avalanche patterns by 2100
This content was published on
Climate change is expected to result in fewer avalanches overall in Switzerland but to increase the danger of wet snow avalanches by 2100.
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.
This content was published on
Thousands of people took to the streets in the Swiss capital Bern to protest about climate change and call for politicians to do more. swissinfo.ch was there.
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.