It is time for Switzerland to do its part to combat the global climate crisis. The worst effects of global warming are hitting the poorest people in the Global South, who are the least likely to fuel climate change. The climate protection law is a first step towards more climate justice, emphasize the eight directors of Alliance Sud and its member organizations in unison.
Cyclone "Freddy" broke several world records in March this year. The tropical storm, which over 1'000 lives in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, was the longest tropical storm ever recorded, lasting more than a month. And it accumulated more energy than any other cyclone before it.
Cyclone "Freddy" confirms: Climate disasters in the Global South are leading to ever greater damage and losses. "Vulnerability to negative impacts of the climate crisis is significantly higher in low-income countries, for example when there is a lack of money for adaptation to climate change," explains Andreas Missbach, Executive Director of Alliance Sud, the Center of Excellence for International Cooperation and Development Policy. "The latest world climate report shows that 15 times more people die in a vulnerable area in an extreme weather event than in a comparable event in a well-adapted area like Switzerland."
The Switzerland has a responsibility, to contribute adequately to the mitigation of global warming. The Comparison of consumption-related annual greenhouse gas emissions per capita between Switzerland (14 tCO2) and the most affected countries such as Malawi (0.1 tCO2), Mozambique (0.3 tCO2) or Madagascar (0.1 tCO2) shows the discrepancy unmistakably.
To protect Switzerland and the Global South
The climate protection law enshrines targets to reduce Swiss emissions to net zero by 2050. "That's the least Switzerland has to achieve," emphasizes Bernard DuPasquier, Vice Director of Heks: "A truly equitable contribution to climate protection would mean that Switzerland would move even faster". Franziska Lauper, Executive Director of terre des hommes switzerland, adds: "We need to act now so that future generations - both here in Switzerland and in the Global South - do not have to suffer even more from the consequences."
The halving of emissions by 2030 envisaged in the law is central to this. This is because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued an urgent warning that stronger climate protection measures must take effect before the end of this decade in order to prevent the 1.5-degree limit from being exceeded. "The 1.5 degree global warming threshold is not arbitrary, it is scientifically based and anchored in the Paris climate agreement," reminds Melchior Lengsfeld, Executive Director of Helvetas, and adds, "The impact of any further increase will be devastating - especially for people in the Global South."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report also highlights existing opportunities to achieve climate neutrality. "Rapid decarbonization is needed, also in Switzerland. This has long been technically feasible. We need to end the use of fossil fuels as soon as possible," says Bernd Nilles, Executive Director of Fastenaktion. Peter Lack, Director of Caritas Switzerland, adds: "The law provides for climate protection to be designed in a socially responsible way. This is important, because it means that it can also be supported by people with low incomes and thus be broadly based."
For more food and energy security
Climate protection is central to food security in particular. "The World Climate Report shows that agricultural productivity is declining overall as the climate warms. The production of sufficient healthy and diverse food will become more difficult with increasing drought and unpredictable weather - on the one hand for us, but above all for smallholder families in poor countries," underlines Markus Allemann, Executive Director of SWISSAID. "However, nutrition is also part of the solution when we eat a more climate-friendly, ecological diet."
A Yes to the Climate Protection Act is not only important for the security of supply and the preservation of our own livelihoods, it is also an opportunity to signal to the global community that the Swiss people take the climate crisis seriously. "With the current multiple crisis and the increasingly severe climate catastrophes in the Global South, it is important that we also send a signal of solidarity with the Yes to climate protection," sums up Felix Gnehm, Executive Director of Solidar Suisse. "We want a just transition to a climate-friendly world - climate protection in Switzerland is part of that."
For further information:
Andreas Missbach, Managing Director Alliance Sud, Tel. 031 390 93 30, andreas.missbach@alliancesud.ch
Delia Berner, Climate Expert Alliance Sud, Tel. 077 432 57 46, delia.berner@alliancesud.ch
Marco Fähndrich, Communications Manager Alliance Sud, Tel. 079 374 59 73, marco.faehndrich@alliancesud.ch
