Published15 October 2024, 05:04
Climate neutralityNet zero target 2037: This is how it should work
The government council of the canton of Basel-Stadt is presenting measures to achieve the net zero goals with the climate action plan. The city is thus taking on a role model role.
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In November 2022, the population of the canton of Basel-Stadt approved the net zero target for 2037.
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On Monday afternoon, October 14th, the canton’s government council will present concrete measures to achieve the ambitious net zero goals with the climate action plan “Net Zero 2037” and the strategy “Climate Neutral Administration”.
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The action plan includes 30 existing and 34 new measures in the fields of mobility, buildings, construction, economy, energy supply, disposal and negative emissions, agriculture and forestry.
In November 2022, the vast majority of Basel voters voted for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2037. This makes the city canton the first canton in Switzerland that wants to achieve the net zero target in 13 years. The Basel government is now presenting a 100-page document in which it presents the planned measures to achieve the goals.
The total 64 measures, composed of existing and new measuresconcern the fields of action mobility, buildings, construction, economy, energy supply, disposal and negative emissions, nutrition and agriculture. Science and civil society were involved in the development. The strategy will be reviewed every two years and adjusted or supplemented if necessary, according to the government council.
Decarbonisierung Focus
In the area of ’mobility’, emissions should be reduced by increasing taxes on motor vehicles or by increasing the use of public transport. In the areas of ‘buildings’ and ‘construction’, for example, there is a requirement to renovate oil heating systems by 2037 and an expansion of photovoltaics. Decarbonization, i.e. the reduction of CO2 emissions, is at the center of the areas of “economy” and “energy supply”. Financial incentives should also help.
The canton of Basel-Stadt is presenting its measures for net zero by 2037 in various fields of action.
Nevertheless, unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions will continue to occur. To this end, the canton is examining the feasibility of “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CCS) within Basel, a technology that removes CO2 from the air and permanently stores it or even removes it. The canton presents these measures in the “Disposal and negative emissions” area of action. In the area of ’Agriculture and Forestry’, only existing measures such as those to reduce emissions in agriculture are presented.
Basel takes on a role model role
With the climate action plan “Net Zero 2037”, the canton would like to specify the next steps to consistently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to this already ambitious goal, the canton is going one step further: the cantonal administration should be climate neutral as early as 2030. In this way, the canton of Basel-Stadt is taking on a role model with regard to climate neutrality by 2030 and is sending a strong signal in the fight against climate change, as the government council writes in its press release.
At the national level, the net zero target should not be achieved until 2050, as it has been enshrined in law since the vote in 2023. For the central federal administration, this net zero target should arrive as early as 2040, i.e. ten years after the canton of Basel-Stadt. By 2030, nationwide greenhouse gas emissions should have been at least halved compared to 1990. Switzerland committed itself to this by ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017.
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