As a resident of Switzerland, you enjoy the many benefits that the “Swiss system” offers you every day. For example, we have an excellent infrastructure with roads, public transport, hospitals, schools and much more. Thanks to the work of many people in Switzerland, goods and services are produced so that our lives run as smoothly as possible. Switzerland also has a strong international network and is well integrated into global trade. We all benefit from all of this here in Switzerland.
However, a well-functioning system also costs something. It takes a lot of labour, constant investment, raw materials and also a lot of energy to keep everything running smoothly. To process all these raw materials into goods and provide energy for our system, a lot of CO₂ is still emitted today. Our current energy system is still heavily focussed on fossil fuels. Large quantities of CO₂ are also produced in the industrial processing of recyclable materials.
Switzerland’s total CO₂ emissions amount to 99 million tonnes per year. Of this, the “Swiss system” accounts for around 46 million tonnes of CO₂ . That’s around 5.4 tonnes of CO₂ per person per year – that’s your system share.
In order to minimise our greenhouse gas emissions, every person in Switzerland must reduce their CO₂ emissions to zero. First and foremost, we need an energy system that is based on renewable energy and no longer emits CO₂. This will not only significantly reduce your share of the system, but will also greatly reduce your personal CO₂ emissions.
Such a net-zero energy system is possible, but it will take time to achieve. Among other things, it will require a lot of research and reorganisation throughout the country. On this website you will find a lot of information about net zero and the energy system of the future.
We are all part of our system and therefore we can only achieve change together.
For example, you can contribute to a change in our energy system by taking part in votes on energy and climate issues. You can find good information and explanations about the votes on the platform www.easyvote.ch, for example.
In your environment and at work, you can join forces with others who are also interested in sustainability and make a difference together. The more people you win over to your ideas, the greater the change will be. You can find useful suggestions and ideas on how to work together for more sustainability at www.handabdruck.eu, for example.
The “Emission Explorer” data comes from the “MatCH” study by Empa, the research institute of the ETH Domain for Materials Science and Technology. In the MatCH report, the total energy and material flows in Switzerland were recorded and the shares per person calculated.
For the Emission Explorer at the Swiss Museum of Transport, these shares were divided into a system share and five areas of life: Living, nutrition, consumption, everyday mobility and flying. You can reduce your own CO₂ emissions directly and quickly in these five areas.
Data from myclimate.ch for typical flight routes (500 km, 1,000 km, 8,000 km) was also used to calculate flight emissions.
Introducing an exciting collaboration of leading Swiss institutions: including ETH Zurich, EPFL, PSI, Empa and the Swiss Museum of Transport, to inform and engage with you on Swiss Energy Strategy 2050. Discover our research towards a Net-Zero energy system. Join us today!
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Come and enjoy a fun-filled family weekend at the Energy Days, happening at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne
from October 18-20!
Tauchen Sie mit ihrer Familie vom 18. bis 20. Oktober in die faszinierende Welt von Energie und Wissenschaft ein – an den «Energy Days» im Verkehrshaus der Schweiz in Luzern!