The World Briefly

June 20, 2023

Stop The Melt

Switzerland

Listen to Today's Edition

Swiss voters backed a referendum proposing a series of carbon-cutting measures in the country amid worries that Switzerland’s famous glaciers are melting away at an alarming rate, the Evening Standard reported Monday.

More than 59 percent of voters supported Sunday’s referendum, which would require Switzerland to achieve “net zero” by 2050. The proposed plan will also set aside more than $3.3 billion to help companies and homeowners transition from fossil fuels to green energy.

The vote comes after scientists and environmentalists have been warning about the country’s glaciers.

Glaciers in the Alps lost a third of their ice volume between 2001 and 2022.

Supporters of the referendum warned that Switzerland would be heavily impacted by global warming and it was already experiencing rising temperatures on its famous glaciers.

But opponents countered that the measures will lead to an increase in electricity prices.

Meanwhile, environmental groups hailed the vote, saying that its approval “means that at last the goal of achieving net-zero emissions will be anchored in law.”

In a second referendum, voters also their support for implementing a global minimum tax rate of 15 percent for multinational corporations, with 78.5 percent voting in favor of the proposal.

This story originally appeared in the June 20, 2023 newsletter, End Game.