Federal Councillor Rösti signs climate agreement with Chile and Tunisia
Published: Sunday, Dec 10th 2023, 18:10
Updated At: Sunday, Dec 10th 2023, 18:10
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Environment Minister Albert Rösti signed two agreements to reduce emissions with Chile and Tunisia at the World Climate Conference in Dubai (UAE) on Saturday. These agreements will enable the two countries to reduce their CO2 emissions. Switzerland, in turn, can claim credit for the emissions saved in this way.
Both sides would benefit from the bilateral agreements, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) wrote in a communiqué on Sunday. The emissions saved by the agreements in Chile and Tunisia could be credited to Switzerland's reduction in fossil fuels.
For the climate, it does not matter where CO2 is reduced, Rösti told Swiss radio and television SRF. With such projects abroad, emissions could be reduced more quickly than with additional difficult and expensive measures in Switzerland.
Interim balance drawn
At the Cop 28 World Climate Conference in Dubai, an interim assessment was made of the progress made in implementing the Paris Agreement. According to information from the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Switzerland has advocated that all countries contribute fairly to the financing of climate damage in poor countries.
According to SRF, Rösti traveled to Dubai with two objectives: he wanted to show what Switzerland has already achieved and wanted to make it clear that countries with high emissions are expected to provide co-financing. The Swiss Environment Minister went on to say that he would not be imposing any bans.
In the plenary session of the conference, Rösti said that a way had to be found to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels. In an interview with SRF, the conservative environment minister justified the Federal Council's recent decision to continue subsidizing diesel and petrol for farmers and ski lift operators, which is in contrast to this. He said that additional taxation would place a greater burden on those affected, meaning that they would no longer have the money to build solar power plants, for example.
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