Biodiversity in Switzerland: Missing Measures

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti fails to address the alarming state of biodiversity in Switzerland at the press conference and glosses over the impact of measures taken to date.

Also left unmentioned is how urban sprawl, land sealing and new construction have taken a heavy toll on the landscape and our architectural heritage.

Our nature is the foundation of our existence – pollination, fertile soils, clean water, protection against natural hazards, climate regulation. Yet biodiversity in Switzerland is in poor shape. According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), more than one third of our animal and plant species are endangered or already extinct. Around half of all natural habitats are under threat.

A reversal of this trend is necessary. The Federal Council, the cantons and the National Council therefore came out in favor of an indirect counter-proposal to the initiative in order to safeguard our natural foundations. A narrow majority in the Council of States refused to engage in the discussion, thereby ignoring the threat to our environment and to future generations.

According to the report “Environment Switzerland 2022,” measures are insufficient

At today’s press conference, Federal Councillor Albert Rösti states that a great deal is already being done, and points to existing legislation, the Biodiversity Action Plan, available funding and private initiatives.Yet reality and scientific facts tell a different story.

According to the Federal Council report «Environment Switzerland 2022», the measures taken so far are insufficient: «Promotion measures do have local effects, but biodiversity remains in poor condition and continues to decline. (…) The isolated successes cannot compensate for the losses, which are primarily attributable to insufficient habitat area, soil sealing, fragmentation, intensive land use, and inputs of nitrogen and pesticides.»

The goals of the Biodiversity Strategy Switzerland are also not being met with the measures taken so far, as the recently published impact analysis shows: «… the general state of biodiversity in Switzerland remains unsatisfactory.The goals of the Biodiversity Strategy Switzerland (BSS) are largely not being achieved.»

Federal Council publishes the new Biodiversity Action Plan only after the vote

The publication of the «Implementation Plan for the Second Phase» (2025–2030), promised by the Federal Council by mid-2024, has been postponed until after the vote. This is also problematic from a democratic standpoint. Without clarity before the vote, citizens are left with the choice of buying the proverbial pig in a poke, or ensuring, with a yes to the Biodiversity Initiative, that the federal government and cantons better protect our natural foundations of life and those of our children and grandchildren. All signs indicate, however, that the new Action Plan will be even less effective than the current one.

Funds earmarked for biodiversity were cut by the Federal Council

In order to implement the existing legal foundations, the federal government must provide the necessary resources. Yet this is precisely where things fall short. As a result, many biotopes of national importance — Switzerland’s natural treasures — are not being properly maintained. For 75 percent of the national biotopes, protection is currently inadequate. The financing of biotope protection, which is secured through programme agreements, is also according to the Federal Council deficient and not in conformity with the law.

During the December 2023 session, parliament adopted a gradual increase in funding of 40 million, 60 million, and 81 million CHF as part of the 2025–2027 financial plan. A few weeks later, the Federal Council reversed this parliamentary decision: in its message on programme agreements in the environmental sector (2025–2028), it eliminated the additional CHF 276 million for nature and landscape. The matter 23.081 will be addressed at the ECSEC-N meeting on 12 and 13 August.

Biodiversity protection, climate protection, and landscape conservation go hand in hand

In 2022, the Federal Council declared “that biodiversity loss and climate change are closely interlinked.” Indeed, measures to address these two crises should be combined as much as possible. This is why environmental organisations campaigned in favor of the Electricity Act. These same organisations are now also advocating a YES to the Biodiversity Initiative. A legal opinion dated 13 May 2024 demonstrates that adoption of the initiative has no bearing on the implementation of the Electricity Act.

The Biodiversity Initiative establishes a foundation for protecting ecologically valuable areas, preserving landscapes and architectural heritage, and safeguarding species diversity in Switzerland. The Electricity Act drives the expansion of renewable energies. Protecting our natural foundations and achieving the energy transition are not only compatible with one another — they must go hand in hand, writes Pro Natura in a press release.

Participatory campaign: In light of the catastrophic policies of Federal Councillor Albert Rösti (SVP), contact your municipality to request a tax remission on federal and cantonal taxes in connection with the recently approved wolf culls in Switzerland. You can download the template letter here: https://wildbeimwild.com/ein-appell-fuer-eine-veraenderung-in-der-schweiz/