Alpine nations aim for climate-neutral transport by 2050
Trucking up the Simplon, in southern Switzerland.
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
Eight European countries have met in Switzerland to forge a plan of action towards net-zero emissions in passenger and freight transport in the Alps.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
Meeting in Brig, canton Valais as the “Simplon Alliance” (in reference to an Alpine pass linking southern Switzerland and Italy), the countries discussed various joint actionsExternal link that could help to reduce the impact of goods and tourism transport in the mountains.
Measures suggested include the continued promotion of a shift from road to rail, incentives for the use of carbon-neutral vehicles, using data to improve traffic efficiency, and harmonising ticketing systems for cross-border public transport.
More
More
For Swiss glaciers, 2022 was a ‘disastrous’ year
This content was published on
Swiss glaciers have lost more than 6% of their volume this year. The decline smashed previous record retreats, but it was not entirely negative.
Transport, which makes up 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, is a particularly sensitive issue in the Alps, which are a key crossroads for continental traffic but which are also twice as exposed to the impact of climate change as elsewhere.
The Alps suffer “direct repercussions [of global warming] that almost no other region in Europe experiences”, said Maria Lezzi of the Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development on Thursday.
Lezzi – filling in for the absent Swiss Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga – played host in Brig to representatives from Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Monaco, and Liechtenstein.
Missing signature
The countries involved are the combined members of the Alpine ConventionExternal link – which works for sustainable development in the Alps – and the Zurich ProcessExternal link, which is focussed on the challenges of transalpine traffic. Both bodies are currently presided by Switzerland.
While seven of the eight countries signed up to the terms of the Alliance – which is not legally binding – on Thursday, the actual finalisation of the document will be delayed by the absence of an Italian signature; an absence not due to opposition, but rather due to procedural issues concerning the new Italian government, the Keystone-SDA news agency reported.
More
More
Has Alpine rail transport come far enough?
This content was published on
The Alpine Initiative aimed to shift the transport of goods through the Alps from road to rail. Where do things stand, 25 years on?
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
Humanitarian law “not an à la carte right”: Swiss foreign minister
This content was published on
UN Security Council members, with the exception of Moscow, are in Geneva for the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.
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.
Read more
More
How robot cars may transport freight under Switzerland
This content was published on
Cargo sous terrain, or underground cargo, is a futuristic Swiss freight project aimed at relieving pressure off existing roads.
Freight traffic through Swiss Alps drops significantly
This content was published on
The Covid-19 pandemic caused transalpine freight traffic to fall by 12% in the first half of the year. Rail and road were affected in equal measure.
Swiss fail to hit road-to-rail target for heavy goods
This content was published on
The Swiss government has presented a series of new measures to accelerate the transfer of heavy-goods transport from road to rail.
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.