The Swiss should consume less meat and live in smaller apartments to sustainably accommodate a growing population, a science research body has recommended.
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Il progetto sostenibile richiede meno carne e meno spazio vitale
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) unveiled its blueprint for sustainable living on Tuesday to promote a resource-efficient economy of the future.
Switching to a more plant-based diet could reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture by 36%. The SNSF recommends focusing farming subsidies on ecological projects.
The study also suggested a rethink on housing to reduce the size of homes. In 1990 the average living space per person was 38 square metres compared to 51 square metres today.
The SNSF believes greater effort should be concentrated on renovating older buildings than constructing new homes.
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Surfing the trend of sustainable supply chains
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Haelixa is to supply chains what forensic DNA experts are to crime scenes.
“We could easily accommodate ten million people with the current housing stock,” said Philipp Thalmann from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).
Although Switzerland is improving its record of recycling, the SNSF pointed out that only 8.6% of all resources worldwide are re-used.
The transition to a sustainable economy should be managed by a combination of regulation, taxes and behavioural incentives, the study said.
The SNSF “NRP 73” study was given a CHF20 million ($18 million) grant in 2016 and conducted 29 research projects to reach its conclusions.
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How have your eating habits changed?
An increasing number of people in Switzerland chose a vegetarian or vegan diet various reasons. What are your experiences?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
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‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
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Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
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Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
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The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
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Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
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Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
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Climate-smart buildings slowly conquer the Alps
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Construction is booming in the Swiss Alps, but not all of it is sustainable. Architecture critic Köbi Gantenbein wants to change this.
Switzerland examines sustainable trade options with Indonesia
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Switzerland lays foundations for roadmap to promote a sustainable means of implementing a controversial free trade agreement.
‘Switzerland should be a model country for innovative sustainability solutions’
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An interview with the new director of Switzerland’s research institute for materials science and technology – the first female boss in its history.
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