Questions and answers on the biodiversity initiative
Published: Monday, Aug 26th 2024, 09:50
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On September 22, the people and cantons will vote on the popular initiative "For the future of our nature and landscape (biodiversity initiative)". Below are the most important questions and answers on the proposal:
WHAT IS THE STATE OF BIODIVERSITY IN SWITZERLAND?
Biodiversity in Switzerland has been declining since 1900, and landscapes and sites are under pressure. The Confederation and cantons have therefore taken measures. These include conservation inventories, financial support measures and projects from the action plan for the protection of biodiversity, which has been implemented for several years. Despite positive developments, however, the targets set have not yet been achieved. The federal government is currently working on a second Biodiversity Action Plan.
WHAT DOES THE BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE WANT?
The biodiversity initiative aims to enshrine the protection of the basis of life in Switzerland in the constitution, as the initiators write. To this end, more money and land should be made available for the protection of plants and animals. The text of the initiative does not specify specific amounts or areas. The initiative also calls for the protection of nature, diverse landscapes and beautiful sites outside of protected areas.
If the constitutional amendment is approved, the federal government would have to designate protected objects of national importance; the cantons would have to designate those of cantonal importance. For significant interventions in protected objects, there would have to be overriding interests of national or cantonal importance. The core content of the protected objects would have to remain undiminished.
WHO IS BEHIND THE BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE?
The biodiversity initiative was submitted in 2020 by the supporting association "Yes to more nature, landscape and building culture". The initiative is backed by around seventy national and more than 350 cantonal organizations from the fields of nature conservation, environmental protection, agriculture, fishing, Swiss parks and landscape conservation. The initiative is supported by the SP, the Greens and the GLP.
WHAT DO THE SUPPORTERS SAY?
"Protect what we need" is the slogan of the initiative committee. Diverse nature is a prerequisite for clean water, fertile soil, pollination of plants and healthy food. An intact natural environment with beautiful landscapes is part of Switzerland's homeland and also has benefits for tourism. Biodiversity is under threat. It is urgent to do more than the federal government and cantons are planning.
According to the initiators, there are several reasons why biodiversity is dwindling: the draining of wetlands, the damming of waterways, the intensive cultivation and fertilization of soils, invasive plants and animals and too few resources for the maintenance of protected areas.
WHO ARE THE OPPONENTS?
The "no" alliance includes business associations such as the farmers' association and the trade association, as well as Wald Schweiz, the working group for mountain regions and Aeesuisse, the umbrella organization of the business community for renewable energies and energy efficiency. Numerous parliamentarians from the SVP, FDP and the Center Party are also involved in the opposition committee. The Federal Council and Parliament also recommend a "no" to the initiative.
WHAT DO THE OPPONENTS SAY?
Although the promotion of biodiversity is also a concern for opponents, the demands of the initiative go too far for them. The Swiss Farmers' Association, for example, writes that farms currently make an average of 19 percent of cultivated land available as biodiversity promotion areas. This is more than required. Instead of setting aside even more land, the ecological potential of existing areas should be exploited first.
The opposing committee fears that the initiative would make thirty percent of the country's land "practically untouchable". In addition, a Yes vote would make building more difficult and additional requirements would hinder forest management and the timber industry. The Federal Council and Parliament are calling for targeted measures instead of additional requirements.
IS THE INITIATIVE GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION?
The energy transition can also be implemented with the biodiversity initiative, argues the initiative committee. This is because interventions are also possible in national protected areas if there are overriding interests of nationwide importance.
The No camp, on the other hand, fears that it would be more difficult to erect wind turbines or solar panels in the countryside. A Yes to the initiative would run counter to the Yes at the ballot box to the energy turnaround and the expansion of electricity production from domestic renewable energies, they argue.
DOES THE INITIATIVE RESTRICT FOOD PRODUCTION?
Farmers' Enterprises, the Association of Productive Agriculture, points out that the "extreme" initiative would severely curtail agricultural land. This would weaken regional products. What Swiss farmers could not supply would be purchased abroad. Farmers are already doing a lot for biodiversity.
This is also acknowledged by the proponents. However, they are of the opinion that the measures taken are not enough: None of the thirteen environmental targets for agriculture put forward by the federal government have yet been achieved. Biodiversity is the basis of agricultural production. In order to remedy the deficits in agriculture, targeted support from the federal government and cantons is needed.
WHY IS THERE NO COUNTER-PROPOSAL?
The Federal Council would have wanted a direct counter-proposal to the initiative, i.e. to incorporate the issue into legislation. It would have wanted biodiversity and protected areas to account for a total of 17% of the national territory instead of the current 13.4%. However, the Council of States said no to this, although the National Council had removed the area requirement as a compromise. The majority of the responsible committee of the Council of States was of the opinion that sufficient areas of particular importance for biodiversity could be protected under the current law.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO IMPLEMENT THE INITIATIVE?
According to the federal government, it currently spends around CHF 600 million a year on biodiversity; most of this money goes to farmers who promote biodiversity. The Confederation estimates that implementing the Biodiversity Initiative would cost the Confederation and cantons an additional CHF 400 million a year. The Confederation would have to save its share in other expenditure in order to offset the costs.
HOW HIGH ARE THE CAMPAIGN BUDGETS?
For the referendum campaign, the Yes and No camps have declared budgets totaling around CHF 5.5 million in financial contributions and work. The proponents are slightly ahead with around CHF 3.3 million. On the "no" side, agricultural associations want to support the referendum campaign with a declared budget of around CHF 2.2 million. The Swiss Farmers' Union has budgeted a good CHF 1 million of its own funds for the No campaign.
WHAT CHANCES DOES THE INITIATIVE HAVE?
In the first polls commissioned by Tamedia/"20 Minuten" and SRG, the initiative received 51% support in each case. In many cases, however, the "yes" rate for popular initiatives falls as more arguments are put forward during the campaign. In addition, the initiative not only has to score points with the people, but also achieve a majority of the cantons. According to the SRG survey, the No camp was clearly ahead in rural areas. In urban areas, on the other hand, the initiative won a majority.
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