THE FOSSIL FUEL TREATY INITIATIVE IN SWITZERLAND

Welcome to the website of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative for Switzerland.

The Fossil Fuel Treaty is an international joint effort aiming to provide a new international framework to tackle the primary driver of the climate crisis: fossil fuel production. This is urgently needed to complement the Paris Agreement which does not mention coal, gas or oil once.

Our goal is to create a Swiss network made of civil society organizations, city governments, NGOs, institutions, faith groups, youth, sports groups and others in order to open a dialogue in society around fossil fuels production and the need for a treaty to phase out oil, gas and coal equitably.

 

About the Fossil Fuel Treaty.

The call for a mechanism to manage a just transition away from coal, oil and gas is a global one — then connected with local and national strategies and projects such as this effort in Switzerland. Find out more by clicking on an accordion.

 
 

  • Inspired by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons from 1968 (1), an international team initiated the Fossil Fuel Treaty project in 2019 with the goal of making it global.

    Fossil fuels are the root cause of the climate crisis. The burning of fossil fuels is responsible for 86% of total emissions in the last decade (2). Back in 1968 Nuclear weapons were considered as weapons of mass destruction. Today fossil fuels are the new weapons of mass destruction. Indeed they put billions of lives at risk.

    As the project is global, activating people in various countries, building up momentum and showing that civil society is asking for such a treaty is essential. The international team and Swiss coalition work towards the same goal; the adoption of a new global mechanism to phase-out fossil fuel production and promote a just transition.

    Each country evolves in a different context. Thus the way to reach an international treaty will be specific for every country. That’s why our Swiss group is needed, in order to ensure that Switzerland, with its own specificities, will join the process and enter negotiations to endorse the treaty.
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    (1) Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) – UNODA [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/

    (2) IPCC, SR6 Working group 1, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i/

  • The treaty has three main pillars:

    NON-PROLIFERATION

    Prevent the proliferation of coal, oil and gas by ending all new exploration and production

    The world is on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas by 2030 than is consistent with limiting the rise in global temperature to below 1.5C, according to the United Nations and other organizations. An immediate end to exploration and expansion into new reserves is needed. In order to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary and unburnable fossil fuels, to protect workers, communities and investments from becoming stranded, and to avoid locking the world into catastrophic and irreversible climate disruption.

    FAIR PHASE-OUT

    Phase-out existing production of fossil fuels in line with the 1.5C global climate goal

    The world’s oil and gas fields and coal mines contain enough carbon to push the world beyond the Paris Agreement’s temperature limits. Phasing-out fossil fuel production must start by regulating fossil fuel supply, limiting extraction, removing subsidies for production, dismantling unnecessary infrastructure, defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples and impacted communities, and shifting support to safer alternatives, in order to align fossil fuel supply with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Wealthy countries are the ones with the capacity to lead and support this managed phase-out of fossil fuels.

    JUST TRANSITION

    Fast-track real solutions and a just transition for every worker, community and country

    The scale of the challenge demands urgent collective action. A peaceful and just transition calls for a clear path and a proactive plan to enable economic diversification, implement renewable energy and other reliable, cost-effective low-carbon solutions, and to support every worker, community and country. We can either intentionally develop new ways to meet our needs or lose the window of opportunity to ensure a safe climate, healthy economy and sustainable future.

  • To maintain living conditions for all species.

    The burning of coal, oil and gas accounts for approximately 80% of carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution, thus are major contributors to the climate crisis. We need a fossil free future because the difference between the impact of a 1.5°C warming or a 2°C warming is big. This 0.5°C difference will affect the rise of the ocean’s levels, the biodiversity, the ecosystems, the health, the food and water supply and even more as one can learn from the latest released IPCC report (1)(2).

    Knowing that the Paris agreement (3) aims to maintain the global average temperature well below 2°C and if possible, 1.5°C, but doesn't even mention the words fossil fuels in its text, is concerning. The IEA (International energy agency) published a "NetZero" report that clearly states there is no more room for fossil fuel investments and highlights priority actions to be taken. One of these priority actions mentions the phasing-out of fossil-fuels; the second, the treaty’s first two pillars on the imperative to end all new production and phase-out the existing production. (4) The report also mentions that the transition must be from and for the people. This aspect is at the core of the Treaty initiative and more particularly its third pillar, focused on equity in order to support Global South countries and communities which are the most vulnerable to climate change whereas they are the least responsible for it..

    The IPCC report states that we need to follow a developpement that is resilient with climate change. If the temperature rises to +1.5°C, it will be hard for human communities to be resilient, but if the rise is of +2°C, being resilient won't even be possible for anybody anymore, and the most vulnerable countries and communities will again be the most impacted.(5) There is an urge to face the climate crisis while ensuring equity and social justice. In 2021, the Earth overshoot day was on 29th July. It means that by this date, the “humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services each year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year” (6) From the perspective of OneHealth, phasing out fossil fuels helps safeguard a healthy future. “One Health is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.” In 2018, more than 8mio of people died prematurely because of exposure to fine particles coming from fossil fuels emissions. (7) (8)

    Fossil fuels have been and still are drivers of geopolitical conflicts. Phasing out from them, not only could solidify international cooperation but also reinforce global peace.

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    (1) IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf

    (2) SR15_SPM_version_report_LR.pdf [Internet]. [cité 5 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/SR15_SPM_version_report_LR.pdf

    (3) english_paris_agreement.pdf [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf

    (4) NetZeroby2050-ARoadmapfortheGlobalEnergySector-SummaryforPolicyMakers_CORR.pdf [Internet]. [cité 5 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/7ebafc81-74ed-412b-9c60-5cc32c8396e4/NetZeroby2050-ARoadmapfortheGlobalEnergySector-SummaryforPolicyMakers_CORR.pdf

    (5) Communiqué de presse [Internet]. [cité 5 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/resources/press/press-release-french/

    (6) Earth Overshoot Day 2021 [Internet]. Climate Neutral Group. [cité 5 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.climateneutralgroup.com/nieuws/earth-overshoot-day-2021/

    (7) One Health [Internet]. [cité 5 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/fr/ressources/nouvelles/one-health/

    (8) One Health Basics | One Health | CDC [Internet]. 2022 [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html

  • The Global Registry of Fossil Fuels is the first open source, comprehensive and policy-neutral tool tracking fossil fuel reserves and production globally. It will allow policymakers and investors to make informed planning decisions about fossil fuel production in the context of the Paris Agreement temperature goal of 1.5C. Addressing the oversupply of fossil fuels is therefore integral to tackling climate change and the first step towards managing fossil fuel production is to measure it.

    Historic efforts to tackle global threats, including the proliferation of nuclear weapons, demonstrate that government transparency and accountability is an important foundation and precursor for broader international cooperation.

 

 
 

  • Here are some explanations that we propose you read about in order to understand why the Treaty is relevant for Switzerland. The list is not complete and you are welcome to send us sources, to do your own research to understand how the fossil fuel industry is embedded in the Swiss economical and political systems.

    Finance

    Switzerland invests a lot of money into fossil fuels and is therefore responsible for feeding the maintenance of the fossil fuel industry. Such economic models are not compatible with the Paris agreements that Switzerland agreed on. (11) (12)

    The Swiss National Bank has a huge role in the financial arena as it managed more than 100 billion CHF in 2019. At the moment, the path the SNB is taking in the investments is leading to a 4 to 6 degrees scenario. Nearly 5.9 billion are invested in fossil fuels-related companies (13) (14) (15) which represent an investment in tons of CO2eq/year that is similar to the cumulated Swiss national emissions. (12) This is not acceptable knowing that the investments are supposed to serve the public interest and ensure long-term stability. The SNB states that any investment that “violates basic human rights on a massive scale or systematically causes serious damage to the environment” should be avoided. It is the same for the rest of the Swiss finance place which continues to invest massively in the fossil fuel industry. (16) “Currently, the investments in companies generating electricity from fossil fuels are four times higher than those made in companies producing energy from renewable sources.” (17)

    Retail banks can also play a big role in sustainable development. The green portfolio offers must not stay niche propositions, they must become generalized in all the offers. The WFF and the PwC Switzerland started analyzing the fifteen major retail banks of Switzerland (UBS, Raiffeisen, CreditSuisse, Postfinance, and some cantonal Banks) to evaluate their actual impact on the environment. Out of them, only 7 follow the actual basic recommendations from WWF. These basic recommendations mean that sustainability is part of the Bank’s strategy but it is not generalized. They also don’t innovate to become more sustainable and present a lack of transparency in some aspects. The rest of the 15 banks fall into the middle or late classification. None of the banks were exemplary or visionary. The placement of latecomers even if some improvements were observed in the other areas. (18) (19) If we look back at the investments that were made by Swiss banks after the Paris agreement, the numbers are appalling. Nearly 1900 billion swiss francs went into oil companies. (11)

    The Swiss Climate Allianz did a climate rating of the pension funds weighted by investment volume because as the saving capital in the fossil fuels investments are going down, decarbonization of the investments becomes urgent not only for the climate but also for the wealth of the pensions. The rating is based on the Paris Agreement and on the UN sustainable development goals. The results are mediocre and it is clear that a lot needs to be done. Only 26% of the pension funds enter the good practice category. 16% have taken some actions but still, fail to be aligned with the rigor to achieve the objectives of the Paris agreements and sustainable goals. The worst part is that 50 percent of Swiss pension funds’ investments are even considered climate harmful due to their lack of transparency or climate-incompatible policy. (12)

    Responsibility and diplomacy

    Phasing out of fossil fuel is going to be a big step for society and in order for it to be efficient, we need everyone’s effort. As one of the countries with the highest levels of GDP per capita and a strong economy (1), Switzerland has the resources to become one of the first movers countries to endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty. In cooperation with other countries, we could build a coalition and open the way to a fossil-fuel-free world. Switzerland is one of the countries that invests the most in research and development (7th) (2) and aims to stay competitive and be at the cutting edge of technology in many domains. Therefore, this treaty represents a great opportunity for Switzerland to be at the forefront of fighting the climate crisis, in a way that goes beyond carbon-compensating technology, by following an ambitious fossil fuel exit strategy.

    Switzerland could also contribute by providing a container for diplomatic engagement. Indeed, starting multilateral negotiations in order to then scale them up is a key step in reaching a global agreement. Switzerland is already engaged in favor of a strict market regulation in bilateral agreements which means that it is used to negotiate agreements that serve the interest of the country and the other signatories at the same time. (3) (4)

    Emissions

    Although Switzerland has no fossil fuel production sites, it is involved in the fossil fuel business. The consequences of Switzerland’s actions abroad can’t be denied. Therefore, Switzerland should take responsibility for its actions and act to phase out fossil fuels accordingly. Our very consumption has impacted extracting countries. From a historical and ethical point of view, those countries shouldn’t be left alone to transition away from fossil fuels. In fact, the Swiss Carbon footprint per resident is around 14 tons CO2eq. Whereas for a 2°C scenario, only 0.6 tons CO2eq per resident would be acceptable. More than half of Switzerland's emissions are happening outside of the country and are constantly increasing compared to our inland emissions. (5)

    Energy source

    Non-renewable energies represent 77% of Switzerland's consumption (6) and fossil fuels represent around 50% of the total energy use. (7) (1) We are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and would also benefit from a planned and coordinated transition. This is exactly what the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposes/offers. In light of the latest events in Ukraine, it clearly hit us that fossil fuels are a too volatile source of energy. (8)

    Transport

    The transport sector is responsible for nearly 1/3 of Switzerland's emissions. To decrease the emissions as fast as possible and go further than the goal of net-zero emissions fixed by the Swiss Confederation, (9) there is an urgent need of phasing out fossil fuels. In the 2020 report “Scenarios for fossil-free mobility” (10) it is clearly stated that there is a need to change the demand of transport. The FFNPT would support the modal transfer to fossil-free transport based on green technologies. By now, a fossil-free transport plan could be reached by 2040 but actions need to be taken fast. (11) The second national mobility conference held on 29th November 2021 brought this subject to the center of the discussions and the conclusions were clear. We need new technologies but most importantly, we need a deep mentality shift regarding our transport system. (9)

    Plastic

    Plastic consumption is also problematic.(20) Plastic’s main ingredients are pulled from freshly extracted fossil fuels in oil refineries and gas processing plants: naphtha, a crude oil-based substance; and ethane, a liquid natural gas. (21) Around one million ton of plastic is used in Switzerland. Microplastics can already be found in our lakes in the mountains causing de-regulation in the fauna. In the end, humans end up eating around 5gr of plastic a week, which corresponds to a credit card. (22)

    Policies

    Despite Switzerland’s commitment to net-zero emissions in 2050, other policies are failing to be established. For example, the CO2 law was rejected in June 2021. Although it was not sufficient to reach the net-zero target according to CCPI experts (23). The COP26 also brought lots of disappointments. Simonetta Sommaruga and the federal department of the environment both made statements on how the results of this congress were not sufficient (4) (24) (25).

    Visible impact on nature and biodiversity

    The Alps suffer from global warming. In fact, the glaciers are melting and their mass has already lost 60% of its 1850 level. Scientists even consider that it is possible that the Alps will not have ice anymore at all by 2100. (26) This will impact the drinking water reserves and increase the risk of sudden flooding. Indeed, as a lake forms after the disappearance of a glacier, it is possible that the rock dam holding it back gives way to releasing the water downstream. The Alpine ecosystems are also going to be impacted due to the potential migration of species to higher altitudes and the change in forest ecosystems. (27)

    Climate change impacts our rivers and our lakes, the water temperature rises, its quality becomes poorer and the residual water rarifies. Our water tables are drying up and water scarcity could lead to conflicts of use. (28) This means that the “Swiss hydric print” could face the same increasing pressure that we are currently doing abroad. (29) Since 1864, the Swiss ground’s temperature has faced a 2 degrees rise. Heatwaves and precipitations become more intense. Snow precipitation becomes rare under 800m, diminishes under 2000m too. (30)

    Health

    In 2018, more than 8mio people died prematurely because of exposure to fine particles coming from fossil fuels emissions. (31)

    Switzerland, with its aging population (32), has a lot to gain in terms of health from a coordinated phase-out of the fossil fuels industry. Indeed old people are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves, air conditioning, and cold periods. (33)

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    1. Swiss Economy – Facts and Figures [Internet]. [cité 23 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/wirtschaft/uebersicht/wirtschaft---fakten-und-zahlen.html

    2. How much money does Switzerland invest in research and development? [Internet]. [cité 23 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://data.snf.ch/stories/research-development-switzerland-en.html

    3. 2203_07en.pdf [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/deea/dv/2203_07/2203_07en.pdf

    4. Jorio with L. COP26: too much talk, not enough action – including by Switzerland [Internet]. SWI swissinfo.ch. [cité 28 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/too-many-words--not-enough-action-at-cop26--and-switzerland-is-not-setting-an-example/47103814

    5. OFEV O fédéral de l’environnement. Impact environnemental en Suisse et ailleurs: Sur un trop grand pied [Internet]. [cité 28 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-wirtschaft-und-konsum/wirtschaft-und-konsum--dossiers/wir-leben-auf-zu-grossem-fuss.html

    6. Les énergies non renouvelables [Internet]. [cité 28 sept 2021]. Disponible sur: https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/fr/home/wirtschaft/energie/die-nicht-erneuerbaren-energien.html

    7. Ritchie H, Roser M. Energy. Our World Data [Internet]. 28 nov 2020 [cité 23 févr 2022]; Disponible sur: https://ourworldindata.org/energy/country/switzerland

    8. Gas Crunch: time to factor in volatility and externalities to reveal its true costs. [Internet]. 21 jan 2022 [cité 23 mar 2022]; Disponible sur: https://energypost.eu/gas-crunch-time-to-factor-in-volatility-and-externalities-to-reveal-its-true-costs/#:~:text=Fossil%20fuels%20pricing%20is%20volatile,storage%20levels%20and%20policy%20inadequacies.

    9. Repenser la mobilité: se lancer ensemble dans la décarbonisation des transports [Internet]. [cité 30 nov 2021]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/documentation/communique/anzeige-nsb-unter-medienmitteilungen.msg-id-86167.html

    10. Sutter D, Althaus J, Cox B, Ickert L. Synthese du Rapport ‐ Scénarios pour une mobilité sans énergie fossile. :10.

    11. swissinfo.ch T de l’anglais par FB. Les banques accusées de trop investir dans les énergies fossiles [Internet]. SWI swissinfo.ch. [cité 1 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/economie/transition-%C3%A9cologique_les-banques-accus%C3%A9es-de-trop-investir-dans-les-%C3%A9nergies-fossiles/44853276

    12. Rating climatique • Alliance Climatique [Internet]. Alliance Climatique. [cité 23 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.klima-allianz.ch/fr/rating-climatique/

    13. Risques climatiques : le Conseil de banque de la BNS ne remplit pas son rôle d’organe de surveillance • Alliance Climatique [Internet]. Alliance Climatique. [cité 23 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.klima-allianz.ch/fr/bns/

    14. bns-en-1.pdf [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://artisansdelatransition.org/assets/images/bns/bns-en-1.pdf

    15. Swiss National Bank drops coal [Internet]. Swiss National Bank drops coal. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.climate-alliance.ch/blog/swiss-national-bank-drops-coal

    16. DEF_Bridging_the_Gap_PACTA_2020_Switzerland_november_2020 (1).pdf.

    17. Swiss investors still leaning heavily on fossil fuels - SWI swissinfo.ch [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-investors-still-leaning-heavily-on-fossil-fuels/46150250

    18. Notation WWF des banques de détail | WWF Suisse [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.wwf.ch/fr/nos-objectifs/notation-wwf-des-banques-de-detail

    19. Bolliger M. DURABILITÉ DANS LA BANQUE DE DÉTAIL SUISSE. :24.

    20. FOEN FO for the E. Plastics [Internet]. [cité 30 nov 2021]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallwegweiser--stichworte-a--z/kunststoffe.html

    21. Ranking | Climate Change Performance Index [Internet]. 2021 [cité 28 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://ccpi.org/ranking/

    22. Plastic production is a fossil fuel problem [Internet]. Popular Science. 2021 [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.popsci.com/environment/fossil-fuel-plastic-production-links/

    23. Humans Eating Plastic - Over 40 Pounds In A Lifetime [Internet]. Plastic Oceans International. 2020 [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://plasticoceans.org/humans-eating-plastic-over-40-pounds-in-a-lifetime/

    24. Switzerland’s ‘disappointing’ contribution to an emissions-free planet [Internet]. SWI swissinfo.ch. [cité 28 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/switzerland-s--disappointing--contribution-to-an-emissions-free-planet/47064994

    25. OFEV O fédéral de l’environnement. 26e Conférence des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques (COP26) à Glasgow [Internet]. [cité 28 févr 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-klima/klima--dossiers/klimakonferenz-glasgow-cop26.html

    26. The Swiss Alps are hotter than ever [Internet]. SWI swissinfo.ch. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/multimedia/the-swiss-alps-are-hotter-than-ever/46279114

    27. Nos glaciers disparaissent | WWF Suisse [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.wwf.ch/fr/stories/nos-glaciers-disparaissent

    28. Les plongeons dans l’eau fraîche en voie de disparition | WWF Suisse [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.wwf.ch/fr/stories/les-plongeons-dans-leau-fraiche-en-voie-de-disparition

    29. OFEV O fédéral de l’environnement. Indicateur eau [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-wasser/wasser--daten--indikatoren-und-karten/wasser--indikatoren/indikator-wasser.html

    30. OFEV O fédéral de l’environnement. Changements climatiques [Internet]. [cité 18 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-naturgefahren/naturgefahren--fachinformationen/naturgefahrensituation-und-raumnutzung/klimawandel.html

    31. https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2021/02/deaths-fossil-fuel-emissions-higher-previously-thought

    32. État, structure et évolution de la population en 2020, [Internet]. [cité 24 mars 2022]. Disponible sur: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/fr/480-2000

    33. Carter, T.R., Fronzek, S., Inkinen, A. et al. Characterising vulnerability of the elderly to climate change in the Nordic region. Reg Environ Change 16, 43–58 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-014-0688-7

  • Swiss cities endorsing the Treaty is a key action we are pursuing. They contribute to building more support and creating interest for their citizens. They will also put pressure on their cantons and the national level.

    We use the same bottom-up strategies as other countries. We want to build support on a very local basis as the transition away from the fossil fuel industry requires as many of us to understand and change. If you want to help us in that effort, you can find more information in the section “How can you help?” or directly on this website: fossilfueltreaty.org/cities

    Endorsing isn’t simply a click or a frozen text, but implies a commitment such as new policies, concrete measures in the city (infrastructures, publicity etc.) and/or direct actions.

    List of the cities we contacted so far:

    Geneva (on the process of passing a motion)

    Lausanne

  • On a national scale, our MEPs will be informed of the Treaty and will hopefully defend the interests of their population, which is to support the treaty. If you are an MEP, we invite you to have a look at the section below “How can you help > If you are a member of the national assembly”

    Here is also the website for parliamentarians: www.fossilfuelfreefuture.org

  • Artisans de la transition

    Center for Climate Impact and Action (CLIMACT)

    Cleantech21 Foundation

    Climate Strike Switzerland

    FAB Learning GmbH

    friedenskraft

    Gallifrey Foundation

    Global Footprint Network

    Infantino

    Klimagruppe AR

    KlimaKontor Basel

    Lightning MultiCom SA

    OXÏ-ZEN Solutions

    SOS Planet Initiative

    The Sustainable Angle

    Transport Transformation GmbH

    YASAVA Solutions SA

 

Impact in Switzerland

 

A Swiss network calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty

In Switzerland a network is starting to build up. Collaboration is at its center and it aims to  provide some common direction towards a fossil free future; collaboration on specific campaigns, pushing for the Fossil Fuel Treaty etc… 

At the international level, the network is expanding fast and is big;  many cities, NGOs and public figures already showed and endorsed the treaty. Over the past year the campaign has been supported by 101 Nobel Laureates, 2,600 academics, 170 parliamentarians, hundreds of prominent youth leaders, a growing group of faith leaders, and more than 1,300 civil society organizations.

Who are we? 

A Swiss group who is working for the adoption of the Fossil Fuel Treaty. We are a group of young activists from different locations, mostly based in Lausanne and Zürich. Besides work and studies, we come together to push forward the Treaty and help combat the climate crisis by leaving fossil fuels in the ground. We are: 

  • Loukina Tille, bachelor student in Political Science at the University of Zürich  

  • Paula, bachelor student in environmental sciences at ETH

  • Yaëlle Fouvy, bachelor student in Medicine at the University of Lausanne  

  • Bobur, bachelor student in Law at the University of Lausanne 

  • Léa Charnaux, master student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Geneva

On an international level, you can find more information about the team here.

Our goals in Switzerland 

  • Opening space in society to address the issue of our dependence to fossil fuels production and the need to implement a just energy transition

  • Offering the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative as a direction for all groups that have already been working on the question of divestment and energy transition

  • Building up a civil society network in order to pressure our government to take its responsibility and get involved in the negotiations for the Treaty

  • Creating a city-focused network that endorsed the Fossil Fuel Treaty 

What else should we aim for? Any ideas?

Please feel free to reach out (see Contact section below)

Contact us.

You can reach out to us if you want to join our team, for any requests, ideas, or comments via: 

Email: switzerland@fossilfueltreaty.org

Instagram: @fossilfueltreatyswitzerland

 

How can you help?

Phasing out of fossil fuel might seem like a long way but is essential for our future. You can help us walk a bit further on the path to a fossil free future!  Click on an accordion below to find out how you can help.

 

    1. You can inform yourself about the impacts of fossil fuels on our planet, the role of investments in the fossil fuel industry and all the benefits that the treaty would bring. Here you can find a lot of resources.

    2. You can talk about it with your friends, family and share the infomation on your social media. You can also endorse the treaty as an organisation, company or as an in individual here.

    3. We also have some stickers, if you are motivated to stick them around and make the treaty more visible in the public space. If you want to order some of them please contact us via Instagram / telegram / or the contact tool on this page.

    4. Here you find tools to get active: campaign.fossilfueltreaty.org — you can also look below for more concrete action steps:

    1. Endorse the treaty by clicking here: fossilfueltreaty.org/#endorse

    2. Check out the 22 actions you can take here and here

    3. Vote accordingly, not all politicians will represent your interests, some are more inclined to be willing to plan a fossil free future than others…

    4. Disrupt the current system for young people for example there are some actions planned in Autumn : https://endfossil.com/

    1. Make your city support the treaty.

      Here is an example of a motion you can use.

      Other resources can be found here

      If you need support or have any questions, you can contact Seble Samuel who is the cities campaign coordinator: seble@fossilfueltreaty.org

    2. Encourage other cities to support the treaty with you

    3. Try to bring the treaty on a canton level

    4. Pressure the national level, work with politicians elected on a national level

    1. Sign the parliamentarians call for a fossil fuel free future here www.fossilfuelfreefuture.org and share the link with your colleagues

    2. Engage in the policy making process around energy and fossil fuels

    3. Bring up the topic of fossil fuel divestment to your next political debate

    4. Stop listening to the fossil fuel lobbyists, rather inform yourself through scientists

    1. Add your name to the open letter for scientists and researchers: fossilfueltreaty.org/open-letter and share the link with your colleagues

    2. Orientate your research towards understanding the current situation/towards solutions that could foster an international agreement like a Fossil Fuel Treaty

    3. Share your analysis with your peers

    4. Reach out to media and politicians to share your knowledge and findings

    5. Vulgarize the environmental problems of the climate crisis and fossil fuel challenge to your community

    1. Add your name or the name of your organization to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation treaty : here: fossilfueltreaty.org/#endorse

    2. Explain the urgency of the treaty to your community

    3. Share the link with other NGOs

    4. Organize actions to promote the Treaty

    1. Add your name to the open letter for faith groups: fossilfueltreaty.org/faith-letter

      For enquiries please contact faith@fossilfueltreaty.org

    2. Make the just transition of fossil fuels a moral case

    3. Explain the urgency of the treaty to your community

    4. Mention the problem and the Treaty at your communities events

    5. Organize actions to promote the Treaty

    1. Endorse the fossil fuel treaty: https://fossilfueltreaty.org/

    2. Push for a change in the economic system in order to create a regenerative and functioning economy away from fossil fuels

    3. Understand how your corporation is embedded in the fossil fuels system and how you can support the transition away from it

    4. Connect with other corporations to motivate them to do the same and support you in this process

 

Latest

 

Links

More info coming soon

Resources

Global resources here: fossilfueltreaty.org/resources 

More info coming soon