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Heat waves, falling rocks or floods: climate change becomes a financial burden. The canton of Valais has now published figures. “Global warming is putting a heavy burden on the canton’s bill,” says responsible state councilor Roberto Schmidt (60). “The canton of Valais has to spend an average of 250 million francs annually on the consequences of climate change.”
The approximately 250 million francs were spent in various departments. “Think of frost damage that farmers have to compensate, road damage due to debris flows or flood damage.” To find out, Schmidt asked his departments how much money they had spent on climate change impacts in the past. “The high result surprised me.”
Lost profit is not included. The canton of Valais also thrives on tourism: “If there’s no snow, no one comes to ski,” says Schmidt. This is one of the reasons why he promotes the Climate Protection Act. “Especially the mountain cantons are affected by climate change. That’s why we need more speed now.”
With the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, Switzerland committed to no longer emit greenhouse gases by 2050. Now this goal must be enshrined in law. The climate protection law is an indirect counter-proposal to the Glacier Initiative, which also called for the complete phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050. The law now on the table does not impose a ban. Instead, the replacement of oil and gas heating systems will be financed for a total of CHF 2 billion over the next 10 years. 1.2 billion is earmarked for the promotion of innovative technologies for climate protection.
With the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, Switzerland committed to no longer emit greenhouse gases by 2050. Now this goal must be enshrined in law. The climate protection law is an indirect counter-proposal to the Glacier Initiative, which also called for the complete phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050. The law now on the table does not impose a ban. Instead, the replacement of oil and gas heating systems will be financed for a total of CHF 2 billion over the next 10 years. 1.2 billion is earmarked for the promotion of innovative technologies for climate protection.
Bund has no frame
The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) writes that the federal government does not have a comprehensive list of what climate change has cost Switzerland so far. However, there is some evidence: Losses due to extreme weather and climate-related events in Switzerland have been estimated to average around CHF 500 million per year in recent years. “The costliest event to date, with a total of three billion francs in damage, was the August 2005 flood.”
When fish die in hot summers, less electricity can be produced or there are landslides, the wallet also suffers. “But the costs are not clearly quantifiable,” says de Bafu.
Difficult differentiation
In agriculture, the costs rose to 500 million francs in the hot summer of 2003, writes the Bafu. There is no exact calculation for recent years, explains Sandra Helfenstein of the Swiss farmers’ association. “The yields of the farmers vary from year to year. How much of this difference is due to climate change seems extremely difficult to calculate.”
The federal government has launched a research program to clarify the costs of climate change. “The results will be available in 2025.”
Source:Blick
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