https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The heatwave came to an abrupt end on Friday evening in the south of the Swiss alps with a particularly violent storm causing significant damage in the canton of Tessin. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230826/heavy-storms-cause-damage-in-switzerlands-ticino-as-more-to-come Sat, 26 Aug 2023 14:16:43 +0200 heavy-storms-cause-damage-in-switzerlands-ticino-as-more-to-come The Risoud Forest, covering the border between France and Switzerland some 1,200 metres up in the Jura mountains, is filled with spruce trees which are hundreds of years old. But climate change has brought drier, warmer weather, threatening the special tonal qualities of the wood. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221130/climate-change-takes-toll-on-swiss-trees-in-risoud-forest Wed, 30 Nov 2022 10:03:31 +0100 climate-change-takes-toll-on-swiss-trees-in-risoud-forest A man ended a 39-day-long hunger strike outside the Swiss parliament on Thursday, declaring "Victory!" after the MPs agreed to be briefed by scientists on the latest climate change research. https://www.thelocal.ch/20211209/victory-hunger-striking-dad-ends-swiss-climate-struggle Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:16:03 +0100 victory-hunger-striking-dad-ends-swiss-climate-struggle Climate change has dramatically altered the Swiss Alp landscape -- at a quicker pace than expected -- as melting glaciers have created more than 1,000 new lakes across in the mountains, a study published Monday showed. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210719/climate-change-glacial-melt-in-switzerland-has-created-1000-new-lakes Mon, 19 Jul 2021 19:23:46 +0200 climate-change-glacial-melt-in-switzerland-has-created-1000-new-lakes Less than a week after Switzerland went to the polls on a set of corporate responsibility rules, Nestle has announced it will spend billions on improving its climate compliance. https://www.thelocal.ch/20201203/switzerlands-nestle-to-spend-billions-improving-climate Thu, 03 Dec 2020 19:20:40 +0100 switzerlands-nestle-to-spend-billions-improving-climate The group climbed the steep mountainside, clambering across an Alpine glacier, before finding what they were seeking: a crystal vein filled with the precious rocks needed to sculpt their tools. https://www.thelocal.ch/20201016/melting-swiss-glaciers-unearth-an-archeological-treasure-trove Fri, 16 Oct 2020 11:50:12 +0200 melting-swiss-glaciers-unearth-an-archeological-treasure-trove Three-quarters of Switzerland’s energy came from renewable sources in 2019, while only two percent came from fossil fuels. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200908/climate-three-quarters-of-switzerlands-energy-comes-from-renewable-sources Tue, 08 Sep 2020 12:53:56 +0200 climate-three-quarters-of-switzerlands-energy-comes-from-renewable-sources Officials say that the worst is over in Switzerland after much of the country was ravaged by a storm which cancelled flights and trains as well as caused damage across the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200211/roads-closed-planes-grounded-as-record-breaking-storms-sweep-switzerland Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:24:51 +0100 roads-closed-planes-grounded-as-record-breaking-storms-sweep-switzerland Next in our series on quirky and unique Swiss facts, we break down the country’s hydro-charged renewable power system, which produces more than two thirds of the country's energy. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200121/the-scoop-on-switzerland-the-swiss-hydro-charged-renewable-energy-system Tue, 21 Jan 2020 22:24:58 +0100 the-scoop-on-switzerland-the-swiss-hydro-charged-renewable-energy-system Swiss food giant Nestle said Thursday it would invest 2.0 billion Swiss francs (1.8 billion euros, $2.1 billion) over five years to cut its use of virgin plastics in favour of food-grade recycled plastics. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200116/switzerland-nestle-to-invest-chf2b-in-recycled-plastics Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:07:40 +0100 switzerland-nestle-to-invest-chf2b-in-recycled-plastics With the new year just days away, Geneva is readying itself for the prohibition of free plastic bags at all supermarket checkouts, as well as other single use plastics. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191226/geneva-100-franc-fines-for-single-use-plastics-from-january-1st Thu, 26 Dec 2019 15:05:33 +0100 geneva-100-franc-fines-for-single-use-plastics-from-january-1st Anyone in Switzerland's major cities holding out hope of a white Christmas is set to be disappointed. With temperatures across the country six degrees above average, it is officially the warmest December on record. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191218/no-white-christmas-for-switzerland-in-warmest-december-on-record Wed, 18 Dec 2019 17:56:17 +0100 no-white-christmas-for-switzerland-in-warmest-december-on-record Car advocates have warned new laws restricting CO2 emissions, set to come into effect in 2019, may make some car models up to CHF10,000 more expensive in Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191218/new-cars-may-be-up-to-10000-francs-more-expensive-under-new-swiss-co2-laws Wed, 18 Dec 2019 11:27:22 +0100 new-cars-may-be-up-to-10000-francs-more-expensive-under-new-swiss-co2-laws Credit Suisse announced Wednesday that it will no longer finance any new coal-fired power plants as the financial sector faces increased calls to support global efforts against climate change. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191211/credit-suisse-to-stop-financing-new-coal-fired-power-plants Wed, 11 Dec 2019 15:44:36 +0100 credit-suisse-to-stop-financing-new-coal-fired-power-plants Switzerland has fallen seven places in the latest climate performance rankings, currently placed behind Morocco, India and the United Kingdom. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191211/switzerland-tumbles-down-climate-performance-ratings Wed, 11 Dec 2019 12:28:09 +0100 switzerland-tumbles-down-climate-performance-ratings Climate change has become a major issue in Switzerland, not least because of the country's receding glaciers. But the battle is on to save them and the public will have a say in it. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191127/for-the-glaciers-is-switzerland-set-for-a-referendum-on-climate-change Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:42:20 +0100 for-the-glaciers-is-switzerland-set-for-a-referendum-on-climate-change Switzerland's Green Party made historic gains in national elections Sunday, while the anti-immigrant right wing was on track to remain the largest party in parliament despite a slip in its support. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191020/green-party-makes-historic-gains-in-swiss-vote Sun, 20 Oct 2019 22:29:15 +0200 green-party-makes-historic-gains-in-swiss-vote The Swiss federal elections take place this Sunday, October 20. From which issues matter most to one thing you’d like Swiss politicians to change, this is what you had to say. And there were some controversial suggestions. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191017/swiss-elections-your-view-on-the-most-important-issues-at-stake Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:26:06 +0200 swiss-elections-your-view-on-the-most-important-issues-at-stake Switzerland's glaciers have lost a tenth of their volume in the past five years alone -- a melting rate unmatched during observations stretching back more than a century, a study showed Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191015/swiss-glaciers-shrink-10-percent-in-five-years-study Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:27:38 +0200 swiss-glaciers-shrink-10-percent-in-five-years-study The ‘astronomical’ financial impact of climate change on Swiss infrastructure has been revealed in a new study. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191011/climate-change-set-to-cost-switzerland-chf1-billion-per-year Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:50:40 +0200 climate-change-set-to-cost-switzerland-chf1-billion-per-year