Things are going to be tight during the referendum against the energy law: environmental activist Vera Weber is having a hard time

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SVP Federal Councilor Albert Rösti (56) is required. This year he will have to take a stand several times in referendums to defend his case. He takes on the biodiversity initiative and fights for the expansion of the highway.

And there may be another voting proposal: the referendum against the new energy law, the so-called energy shell decree. “We currently have almost 48,000 signatures,” says environmental activist Vera Weber (49) of the Fondation Franz Weber, which is coordinating the signature collection. However, only more than half of these are certified. And time is running out because the collection deadline ends on January 18.

Submission date reserved

For Weber, the referendum will be a nightmare. Still, she is confident: “We are currently receiving about a thousand signatures a day,” she says. We are working hard to have these certified by the municipalities in a timely manner.

“It will be tight, but the referendum is absolutely still possible,” she is convinced. As a precaution, the submission date at the Federal Chancellery on January 18 – around office closing time – has already been reserved.

The referendum leaders are not against the expansion of renewable energy sources. But the proposal goes too far for them: “This law weakens landscape and nature conservation across the board in Switzerland,” said Weber.

Buildings in protected landscapes

The Franz Weber Foundation and its allies are particularly concerned that the new law could clear forests to build wind turbines. Likewise, the construction of large wind and solar farms in protected landscapes would be possible – without preventing or compensating for disruptions. The organization also complains that the right to complain is also limited.

“It is absurd to sacrifice nature on the altar of climate,” Weber makes clear. Because natural areas such as forests, meadows or biotopes are the best allies in the fight against climate change. “They absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, regulate the water cycle and mitigate climate-related fluctuations.”

Referendum leaders would instead prefer to harness the potential of existing and new buildings and equip them with solar systems.

Weber wants a fresh start

Weber and her allies want to fight for every signature until the end, so that the necessary 50,000 signatures can still be collected.

“We are passionate about it,” Weber says. These are fundamental conservation principles, so the people should be able to decide. “The energy law needs a new start.”

Source:Blick