Switzerland Today

Hello Swiss Abroad,

As news comes in of the first snowfalls of the season, many people in Switzerland will be looking forward to hitting the slopes. But ski resort officials, mountain professionals and other people worried about climate change are thinking about other alternative activities in the Alps.

Imprisoned in a castle? This still goes on in Switzerland. It's not a fairytale.

Enjoy the read,

Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Faced with climate change, Swiss mountain tourism professionals are launching an initiative to secure the future of ski resorts. The project, known as “Snow Compass”, aims to help ski areas in Switzerland adapt to steadily shrinking snow coverage.

A coalition of winter tourism stakeholders has introduced “Snow Compass,” a project intended to be a comprehensive “toolbox,” according to Corinne Genoud, a member of Switzerland Tourism’s executive board. The aim is to provide suggestions, strategies and scenarios for resorts to use as they reinvent themselves. The first recommendations are expected next summer.

The project relies on meteorological data. According to Adrien Michel, a meteorologist at the Swiss national weather service MeteoSwiss, snow cover could decrease by 10% to 40% by 2050, depending on the altitude. “The 0-degree isotherm, which determines the snow limit, has already risen by 300 to 400 metres in 40 years, and could rise another 200 to 300 metres in the coming decades,” he adds.

Mountain professionals must increasingly offer year-round tourism activities to stay viable. These include developing hiking trails, creating play areas, increasing artificial snow coverage, and even relocating ski areas to higher altitudes.

• The Swiss public radio, RTS articleExternal link (in French)

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland comes second in the latest global digital ranking, published on Thursday by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The country’s position may come as a surprise given its reputation for lagging in some areas.

Switzerland has ranked highly in recent years, finishing fifth in 2022 and 2023. Now it is in second place out of 67 countries, just behind Singapore.

José Caballero, an economist at IMD’s World Competitiveness Centre (WCC), says the good result is due to Switzerland’s strength in areas like “governance and technological infrastructure” and its ability to attract highly skilled international talent. The country also leads in intellectual property protections and regulatory effectiveness.

However, some areas of digitalisation remain underdeveloped. The e-ID and electronic patient record systems have yet to be implemented, and a study by Digitalswitzerland shows significant room for improvement in cybersecurity for Swiss companies.

Olga Baranova, secretary general of CH++, an organisation promoting rational digitalisation, points out that Switzerland consistently scores poorly in state-related areas: e-government, data protection, public competence in cybersecurity and e-participation. The association is now calling for a dedicated technology department within the federal administration.

• Details from the daily newspaper Le TempsExternal link (in French, paywall)

Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

The historic Porrentruy prison, located in the town’s castle, will close in 2026 due to “inhuman and degrading” conditions, as reported by the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture (CNPT).

With limited exercise space and inadequate light and ventilation, Porrentruy prison does not meet detention standards. Furthermore, the prison’s 18 cells cannot be renovated. “No satisfactory solution can be envisaged for an historic building of great heritage value,” said Jura Interior Minister Nathalie Barthoulot at the announcement of canton Jura’s 2026 prison strategy.

When the town of Moutier (and its prison) transfers to canton Jura on January 1, 2026, Porrentruy’s historic prison will be permanently closed. Inmates will be transferred to Moutier, where the number of beds per cell will be increased. This should reduce the number of claims arising from the CNPT’s 2024 report. Since the report, at least eight prisoners have sought compensation for poor conditions, with one receiving financial compensation, another having a sentence reduction, and six cases pending.

However, the new facility in Moutier will still fall short of capacity. Although the Jura government is considering constructing a new prison, financial constraints make it unlikely before 2035.

• Full article in Le TempsExternal link (in French, paywall)

Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has lost a bid to prevent a class action lawsuit in the United States. This is just one of the pressures currently facing the chocolate industry.

A Californian consumer protection group claims Lindt & Sprüngli failed to disclose cadmium and lead content in some of its “Excellence” dark chocolate products. Such labelling is mandatory in California.

Rahel Zickler, head of communications for Lindt & Sprüngli, argues that “our dark chocolates are below the limit value and are therefore not subject to declaration”. Nonetheless, a New York court has allowed the class action to proceed, though a ruling on its merits is still pending.

Lindt & Sprüngli’s share price dipped sharply earlier this week following the court’s decision but has since largely recovered.

The Swiss chocolate industry association, Chocosuisse, is currently more concerned with rising cocoa prices than the US lawsuit. According to its director, Roger Wehrli, “This poses major challenges for the entire industry, and the increase in production costs is putting additional pressure on prices.”

• The Tages-AnzeigerExternal link explains (in German, paywall)

Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Picture of the day

Cows stand in a meadow after the first snowfall on Thursday November 14, 2024, in St Margrethenberg, near Bad Ragaz, in canton Graubünden.

Translated from French with DeepL/amva/sb