As an innovation leader, Switzerland is in a unique position to globally make a difference. We can and must act now to limit the impacts and associated high costs of climate change and secure a sustainable future for future generations.
Switzerland committed to emitting no more greenhouse gases by 2050 than natural and technical CO2 sinks can absorb (net zero target). Emission reductions cannot neutralize all emissions of the Swiss economy (e.g. from the cement industry). These residual emissions can only be neutralized through the use of negative emission technologies (NETs). These approaches, such as Climeworks' direct air capture technology, need to be developed, deployed and scaled up now in order to remove climate-relevant amounts of CO2 from the air in time and contribute to the net zero target. The required amounts of NETs worldwide are six to ten billion tons of CO2 removed annually by 2050, which will create a global NETs industry worth trillions of Swiss francs.
The KIG, which will be voted on in Switzerland on June 18, 2023, is a significant milestone towards achieving Swiss climate targets:
The KIG shows that we can and want to take responsibility for our actions and that we all – government, private sector and society – can contribute to a sustainable, climate-friendly future.
For the vote on June 18, Climeworks therefore advocates for a clear YES.