“The energy transition is perceived as expensive and boring”

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Blick: Mr Piccard, is Switzerland on the right track with the energy transition?
Bertrand Piccard: Not yet. In Switzerland, the energy transition is seen as something expensive and boring, while at the same time threatening our lifestyle and forcing us to limit our mobility, economic development and comfort. A big misunderstanding.

And you want to get rid of that?
Yes. We need to develop a new story. Show people: protecting the environment can be exciting. It brings people together, creates jobs, can be economically profitable. Many people today don’t understand that.

Why is that?
Everyone pursues only their own interests and deceives each other. The industry’s environmentalists, right to left and greens – and vice versa.

On July 18, we will vote on the climate law. It calls for a CO₂ neutral Switzerland in 2050. Is that even possible?
No doubt. By protecting the environment, we become more energy efficient. We use renewable energy, stop wasting natural resources like we do now. What’s the score? We will all have lower energy costs because we won’t waste anything anymore. We are increasing our energy independence, companies and industry are developing, new jobs are being created.

Would everyone be happy and satisfied?
These subjects correspond to the wishes and demands of all political parties. There are many areas where we can find common interests. That’s what I’m trying to convey to people. The point is that it is already possible today to reconcile the environment and the economy and not play them off against each other.

That sounds optimistic.
I am not an optimist because optimists tend to do nothing – believing that problems will solve themselves. But I’m not a pessimist either. Because those who are pessimistic also do nothing – because they think the situation is lost anyway. I try to take the third way, which is to be realistic. I want to work out solutions independent of all ideologies.

So you say yes to the Climate Protection Act?
In each case. However, I find the name of the template a bit misleading.

Why?
We have many challenges today, not just the climate. The bill should therefore be called the Modernization and Efficiency Act. That would be more appropriate. Because it enables the social, economic and environmental development of our country.

Is the Climate Protection Act about more than ecological interests?
It helps us to use renewable energy, which is cheaper per kilowatt hour than gas, oil and coal. This in turn means that we can modernize Switzerland and make it more efficient. We will use new technologies, new infrastructures, new systems. Will have heat pumps instead of dirty oil heaters, drive electric cars instead of inefficient internal combustion engines.

Isn’t it risky not to use fossil fuels at a time when there is energy scarcity and war in Ukraine and there is often a lack of electricity?
Firstly, fossil energy is expensive because we have to import it. Second, we waste it by using systems that are inefficient. An internal combustion engine consumes three times as much energy as an electric motor. Third, we harm the environment. With the law, we would have a binding basis to produce even more clean energy in Switzerland. Instead, we cling to the past.

What do you mean?
We have poorly insulated homes, inefficient heating, cooling and lighting systems. And this is all legal. That means our laws are as outdated as the technology we still use. We need new solutions. And I’m not talking science fiction. Recovering the heat from the fireplace is just common sense. Using heat from data centers to heat part of the city is not rocket science. Everything is already possible.

They want to submit 22 recommendations to the Swiss parliament.
Last year we set up the so-called Swiss coalition, with parliamentarians from all parties. Together we develop “Ready to Vote” recommendations and initiatives that take into account all political interests. The goal should be for them to eventually be supported by all factions. The ecological transition must overcome political divisions.

With your Solar Impulse Foundation you have been committed to the environment for some time and you do so with more than 1000 ideas.
Unfortunately, ideas are not enough, we need solutions. We have already identified and labeled more than 1500 solutions. The environment and the economy benefit from that, you and me. We can use it to create new jobs and achieve a better quality of life. And we waste less energy, raw materials and raw materials. In the end there is more money for everyone.

How do you come up with the solutions, how do you check them?
We collaborate with scientists, with green start-ups and companies – in Switzerland and around the world. We show them our solutions that we have chosen. They analyze them and give us feedback on ecology and profitability. The solutions cover all areas: water, energy, mobility, construction, circular economy, industry, agribusiness, etc. Two concrete examples: Insolagrin – an agricultural photovoltaic system that filters useful light for fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse and generates electricity at the same time . Or Joulia, a shower drain that recovers energy instead of flushing the precious heat of the shower water down the drain. With the “Destination: Solutions” campaign, we want to highlight Swiss solutions.

Source:Blick

Livingstone

I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.