Swiss build partnerships at Expo 2020

Innovation is a key focus of the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The organisers are hoping it will lead to new collaborations in business, science and education. But the Swiss have been criticised for participating in an event that leaves a sizeable carbon footprint hosted by a country responsible for high carbon emissions.

Dante Larini, Project Manager of Swissnex Mobile at Expo 2020, told swissinfo.ch, “We have different research programmes with Lebanon and Egypt for example, and there was a series of conferences with the Indian pavilion on sustainability in space. A delegation of space experts from India then visited the EPFL space centre (in Lausanne, Switzerland)”.

Controversies

The exhibition focuses on three major themes: sustainability – in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – smart mobility and opportunities for a better future. Expo 2020 has nonetheless been tarnished by numerous controversies. Critics have pointed out the huge carbon footprint of the host. The Unites Arab Emirates (UAE) is heavily dependent on oil and gas exports – 30% of its gross domestic product. Also, the UAE has one of the highest carbon emissions per capita in the world. “Coming here and taking the plane has a cost in terms of carbon impact, but the benefit of our presence here must also be taken into account,” says Larini.

Switzerland has also come under fire for not doing enough to curb climate change. In June 2021, the Swiss rejected a new CO2 law at the ballot box that would have reduced its emissions. Larini says the programmes at Expo 2020 are aimed at finding solutions to these problems: “We focused a lot on the circular economy and waste. In fact, Switzerland is known as a strong recycling nation, but we are also one of the countries that produces the most waste per inhabitant.”