The Swiss parliament ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 2003. Switzerland undertook to reduce its CO2 emissions to 10% less than 1990 levels by 2010.

However, some experts are doubtful that this target will be met. In 1990 greenhouse gas emissions stood at 53.3 million tonnes; in 2000 they were 52.7. The respected German environmental organisation Germanwatch put Switzerland only in 10th place out of 56 worldwide in its 2007 Climate Change Performance Index which looks at emission trends and climate policies. (Sweden topped the list and the UK came second. Saudi Arabia was at the bottom, with the US ranked 53rd.)

A CO2 law came into force in 2000 to ensure that the Kyoto target is achieved. About a thousand enterprises have taken voluntary measures to reduce their emissions, achieving some notable results.

Nevertheless, it became clear by 2005 that these measures were not sufficient. It is proving difficult, however, to agree on how to strengthen them.

The "climate centime"

A so-called "climate centime" was introduced experimentally on vehicle fuels in October 2005, raising the price by 1.5 centimes a liter. The government proposed an incentive tax on heating fuels, which would increase the cost of a liter of heating oil by nine centimes. However, a parliamentary commission rejected this and called for the introduction of a climate centime here too.

The climate centime is a voluntary measure by the private sector. The money raised will be used mainly for projects to reduce CO2 emissions. The incentive tax would have been paid back to the population and the economy, for example by a slight reduction in health insurance premiums.

An incentive tax on domestic fuel is to be introduced in stages from 2008 if the climate centime is shown not to have reduced emissions sufficiently.

Since climate change recognises no borders, Switzerland supports a coordinated international approach to dealing with the problem.