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Climate

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face worldwide. The Swiss MEM industries deliver technologies without which climate-compatible business would not be possible in the first place.

The Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries offer technical solutions which can substantially reduce emissions. Thanks to their strong export focus, the MEM industries can have a worldwide impact which goes far beyond optimizing processes at home.
Over the last few decades, Swissmem member companies have been consistently replacing fossil fuels with less CO2-intensive alternatives and deliberately lowering their energy consumption. By doing so, they have reduced their domestic carbon emissions by 60% compared to 1990. Compared to other countries, industrial production emissions in Switzerland today are very low. Switzerland’s low-CO2 electricity mix is also helping here. According toan analysis conducted by the Institute of Environmental Engineering at ETH Zurich (in German) around 80% of the Swiss MEM industries’ greenhouse gas emissions occur within their non-domestic supply chains.

Climate policy that is supportive, not restrictive

Swissmem is campaigning for a climate policy framework that will enable the MEM industries to continue to reduce their carbon emissions without restricting their ability to do business.  Businesses should be able to have emission reductions achieved abroad count just as much towards national climate targets as domestic reductions. This will give companies additional motivation to implement reductions in other countries. The Paris Agreement makes provision for mechanisms to do this. Further information ((Link zum Positionspapier Klimapolitik))

Last update: 25.07.2019