Only 10.8% of Swiss territory is protected, while the average protected area in the European Union is 26.4%, NGO Birdlife Switzerland said in a statementExternal link on Friday. Together with other nature conservation organisations, it is calling on parliament to end to its inaction on the issue.
Birldlife points in particular to proposed legislative changes that are stalled in parliament. The proposed amendments provide, for example, for the networking of protected areas by means of green corridors.
Switzerland is a long way from the international target of 30% protected areas by 2030, Birdlife points out. It says the Alpine country has made no progress in terms of protected areas for more than a decade.
According to the latest Environmental Review of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Switzerland is among the industrialised countries with the longest red lists of threatened species. More than a third of the species and half of their habitats are threatened or even highly endangered.
In 1998, Switzerland set itself the target of reducing the number of species on its red lists by 1% per year. “No measures were ever taken to achieve this, and the target was quietly abandoned in 2020,” according to Birdlife director Raffael Ayé.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Asian investors sue Switzerland over Credit Suisse bond losses
This content was published on
More than 500 investors from Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong have launched claims against Switzerland in relation to AT1 bonds.
Man cleared of Geneva diplomat murder but convicted of rape
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has acquitted an Ivorian-Italian dual national of murdering an Egyptian diplomat in Geneva in 1995.
Switzerland to cut funding for gala cultural events from 2029
This content was published on
Large-scale Swiss cultural events, such as the Locarno Film Festival, will lose state funding from 2029 as part of a cost-cutting drive by the administration.
Ideas to recover ammunition from Swiss lakes flood in
This content was published on
An appeal to the public to suggest ways to safely retrieve 8,000 tons of munitions from the bottom of Swiss lakes has yielded around 100 proposals.
This content was published on
Swiss public television SRF will axe 50 full-time positions by the beginning of next year as it aims to make CHF9 million in savings.
Explosion in global patents for transport innovations
This content was published on
The number of patents for transport innovations has exploded in the last 20 years, rising 700% to 120,000 by 2023, says WIPO.
Swiss NGO Terre des hommes loses $10m from US aid freeze
This content was published on
The Swiss-based NGO Terre des hommes is losing $10 million in annual contributions as a result of the suspension of humanitarian aid by the United States administration.
Marsh warbler named Switzerland’s bird of the year 2023
This content was published on
The little perching bird was chosen by BirdLife Switzerland as this year’s champion for its virtuosic singing and peerless imitations.
This content was published on
While the number of birds is declining worldwide, the situation for endangered species in Switzerland is even more striking, a report finds.
Key Swiss sanctuary reveals challenges, opportunities in biodiversity protection
This content was published on
How can animal and plant species be best protected? We visit the Bolle di Magadino, a nature preserve of international importance.
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.