Swiss parliament buries counterproposal to biodiversity initiative

Dominoes with pictures of animals and plants stand on Parliament Square in Bern in May during an action visualising the domino effect of the biodiversity crisis © Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The Swiss public will vote on the biodiversity initiative. On Thursday the Senate rejected the government’s counterproposal for the second time, by 25 votes to 18. The counterproposal is therefore dead.

“This rejection is a slap in the face for biodiversity,” lamented parliamentarian Mathilde Crevoisier Crelier. Beat Rieder, speaking on behalf of the committee, pointed out that even a slimmed-down counterproposal went too far and would have major consequences for agriculture, tourism and energy production in particular.

+ The dearth – and death? – of Swiss biodiversity

The House of Representatives has already twice come out in favour of the counterproposal. It contains no new demands on agriculture and focuses on biodiversity in towns and conurbations.

The popular initiative “For the future of our nature and landscape” calls for more land and public funding for biodiversity. Like the House of Representatives, the Senate is proposing its rejection.

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