Swiss president calls for innovation to tackle climate crisis
Ueli Maurer, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has emphasised the potential of innovation to tackle climate change at a United Nations Climate Action summit in New York.
+ How climate change affects Switzerland
“Our world needs more technological progress and less ideology,” Maurer told world leaders and activists.
As an Alpine country, he noted, Switzerland is particularly affected by climate change. Melting glaciers, reduced snowfall and increased landslides in the mountains are wiping out a part of Swiss identity and tradition, he said.
“Climate change threatens our way of life. We must take this problem seriously,” Maurer continued. For this reason, Switzerland has pledged to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, a “feasible target”, according to Maurer, making use of already available technologies and renewable technology.
To find answers to climate issues, greater investment in research and development is needed, Maurer said. “Switzerland, as a globally minded financial centre, can play an important role in promoting awareness of sustainable environmental management.”
In this context, Maurer presented the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment (PACTA) initiative, which is being promoted by the Netherlands and Switzerland.
PACTA is a tool that allows investors to measure the climate impact of their financial commitments and compare it with the objectives of the Paris agreement.
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