Environmental Ambassador Felix Wertli in an interview: “You cannot reach consensus with a crowbar”

Felix Wertli: To keep the global temperature rise around 1.5 degrees Celsius, effective rules are needed worldwide. The good news is that we know which direction will take us there. Now the states must prove that they also want to take this path.

Groups like Renovate Switzerland, whose activists stick to the tarmac, prefer to rely on undiplomatic means.

Alarmism runs the risk of wearing out over time. I prefer to rely on the diplomatic route and science. The latter shows which measures need to be taken. These findings must be included in the climate negotiations.

For example, courageous action would be necessary when it comes to plastic waste. You are currently in Nairobi at a conference that aims to achieve exactly that goal.

The goal of the agreement we are negotiating is to end plastic pollution. In 2022, the UN Environment Assembly decided to adopt a legally binding agreement. The third of five rounds of negotiations is now taking place in Kenya. Everyone knows: if we do nothing, plastic production worldwide will increase by two-thirds by 2040.

What exactly are states doing about it?

Plastic production still sometimes uses chemicals that make successful recycling impossible. Switzerland aims to ban these substances. The economy also calls for better standards to introduce other types of packaging across the board. In Switzerland, for example, the industry is responsible for collecting and recycling PET bottles. This principle could be applied all over the world.

Is everyone pulling in the same direction?

It still takes a lot of convincing. Oil-producing countries have recognized that the world has a plastic problem. The question now is how they can reduce their production to an environmentally friendly level.

It takes hundreds of years for plastic to completely break down.

These negotiations require a lot of patience. Here in Nairobi, about 160 countries are participating, and at the end of this month there will be almost 200 at the UN climate summit in Dubai. You can’t reach consensus with a crowbar. That is only possible with dialogue.

After Nairobi you fly to the United Arab Emirates. Do you actually compensate for these flights?

Yes, the flights are compensated as part of the federal government’s climate package. We have very strict rules about this. Where possible, meetings take place virtually. You can go to Berlin, London or Brussels by train. Our delegations negotiating on the ground are small by international standards.

For your boss, Albert Rösti (SVP), climate issues are not a top priority. How did you convince him to come to the conference in Dubai?

Federal councilors can decide for themselves where they travel. Heads of state and ministers from all over the world are participating in Dubai. It is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas at the highest political level. Switzerland is severely affected by climate change. Temperatures in this country are rising twice as fast as the global average. It’s not just our mountain areas that know what this means.

The oil is bubbling in Dubai. Did they turn the goat into a gardener?

The United Arab Emirates is investing heavily to make the conference a success. As a country that is heavily dependent on oil production, the Emirates has a certain credibility among countries that are also dependent on fossil fuels. You better get them on board.

Yet people have the impression that climate protection is difficult. What is going on?

Views on how we want to achieve the 1.5 degree target vary widely. At the end of the conference there must be a clear message: we must successfully transition away from coal, oil and gas by 2050.

What do you think are the chances that a decision will ultimately be made?

We are in a hurry. So far there is hardly any text available, only a few key figures. The negotiations will show how effective the recommendations will be.

The last conference was a failure. What gives you confidence that things will go better this time?

Unfortunately, reducing emissions was not a focus at the time. But there are signs that things are now moving forward. The costs for renewable energy and energy efficiency are falling rapidly and a lot of investments are being made. A reconsideration is taking place. The question is whether it will happen fast enough. Nearly 200 countries are at the negotiating table. You can compare this to a large family living together in a block and having to decide which new heating system to buy.

Each country can exercise a veto, creating at best a minimal consensus. Can we afford this?

From Switzerland’s perspective, the climate negotiations are the best solution, even if progress is made in small steps. What is needed now are ambitious rules that apply to all countries. To achieve this goal, we will continue to negotiate relentlessly – and use our elbows if necessary.