Swiss voters rejected proposals to strengthen biodiversity protections as well as a pensions reform in dual referendums on Sunday, according to projected results.
Switzerland is often associated with pristine natural landscapes, but environmentalists have raised concerns about its threatened ecosystems and were urging voters to support broader biodiversity protections.
However, the proposal did not pass, as indicated by projections from polling institute gfs.bern after the closure of the Sunday morning polls, in line with previous opinion polls.
Voters also declined a planned reform of the funding of Switzerland’s pension system, which was criticized by unions as a “scam”, according to the projections.
The initial proposal, titled “For the future of our nature and our landscape”, was endorsed by various environmental protection organizations, including Pro Natura and BirdLife.
They cautioned that Switzerland’s biodiversity “has been declining”.
“Switzerland has one of the highest levels of endangered species and environments among European countries in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation)”, said Sarah Pearson Perret, a Pro Natura director, citing a report by the European Environmental Agency.
Published in 2020, the study reveals that the percentage of protected areas in comparison to the national territory is lower in Switzerland than anywhere else in Europe.
However, only 37 percent of voters supported the proposal on Sunday, according to the institute.
– Investment in Biodiversity –
The Swiss federal government currently allocates around 600 million Swiss francs ($700 million) annually towards biodiversity preservation.
The organizations behind Sunday’s referendum argue that this is insufficient.
While they did not specify the exact amount that should be increased, they requested voters to approve a higher budget for biodiversity and to expand the number of protected areas.
A significant biodiversity agreement reached in Montreal in 2022 called for at least 30 percent of the planet’s lands and oceans to be protected by 2030.
However, last year, Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) stated that only 13.4 percent of the country’s territory was dedicated to biodiversity conservation.
The FOEN admits that Swiss biodiversity protection is inadequate, with half of all natural environments and a third of natural spaces at risk.
The organizations supporting the referendum deemed the situation “alarming”, emphasizing that “the mass extinction of species directly impacts us as humans”.
Both the government and parliament opposed the proposal, arguing that Switzerland is already taking sufficient action and warning that the measures would significantly impact the economy, agriculture, construction, and energy production.
– Pensions Reform Proposal –
Swiss voters also rejected a government-backed reform of pension financing on Sunday, as indicated by the projections. The pollster reported that only 31 percent of voters supported it.
Swiss pensions are divided into three pillars: the basic state pension, a mandatory pension fund where employers and employees must contribute, and optional top-ups to private funds and investments.
According to the government, low financial returns and increasing life expectancy have left the second pillar underfunded.
Bern’s proposed reform would require employers and workers to increase their contributions to the mandatory occupational funds.
However, unions that demanded the reform be subject to a referendum criticized it for forcing people to contribute more while seeing their pension payments decrease.
The Swiss Trade Union Federation, a coalition of 20 unions, denounced the proposals as a “scam”.
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