2 weeks Ago By Le News
On 22 September 2024, the Swiss will vote on two popular initiatives. The first is the biodiversity initiative “For the future of our nature and our landscape”. The second is on a plan to reform Switzerland’s occupational pension system .
Biodiversity, a term referring to the number of living organisms and the habitats that support them, is declining in Switzerland. In the face of this, the federal government has come up with a plan to arrest the decline in Switzerland’s biodiversity. The government has also earmarked CHF 600 million a year to spend on delivering its plan.
However, a group of Swiss citizens think that the government is not doing enough to stop the worsening state of biodiversity and has called a referendum to force the government to put together a more extensive plan. They want more money spent and more areas set aside for nature. In addition, they want the protection of landscapes and architectural heritage to be included.
For those behind to vote, the current level of destruction of nature is alarming and they fear the negative impact it could have on health and the economy. One third of plant and animal species are either extinct or at risk of extinction, say the initiators. The text of the initiative can be viewed here .
The Federal Council is opposed to the initiative, arguing that it goes too far and that many of the things included are already protected. The seven-member executive thinks the initiative would impact negatively on the agricultural, housing and energy sectors. Parliament (124 vs 72) and the Council of States (33 vs 12) are also against the initiative.
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