Climate protection: Green light for agreements with Georgia and Dominica

Bern, 13.10.2021 - At its meeting of 13 October, the Federal Council approved bilateral climate protection agreements with Georgia and Dominica. The agreements create the conditions to enable Switzerland to make a greater contribution to global emissions reductions through climate protection projects in these two countries than it can do through domestic measures alone. Switzerland has already concluded similar agreements with Peru, Ghana and Senegal.

Under the Paris Agreement, Switzerland has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to half its 1990 levels by 2030. It plans to meet this target primarily through domestic measures; but the Paris Agreement also allows states to achieve their climate goals through climate projects in other countries. This allows Switzerland to count emissions reductions achieved in other countries towards its national reduction target.

On 20 October 2020, Switzerland signed the first ever agreement of this kind with Peru, similar agreements will follow in the next few months with Ghana and Senegal. At its meeting of 13 October, the Federal Council approved two further such agreements, this time with Georgia and Dominica. These allow Switzerland to reduce CO2 emissions in these two countries through climate protection projects. In Georgia, for example, a national programme to promote energy efficiency in buildings is being developed. The many years of experience from the Swiss Buildings Programme will be of particular benefit in that respect. In Dominica, the focus is on the electrification of transport on the island. In addition, geothermal energy should play a greater role, thereby allowing Dominica to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas.

Strict environmental protection and human rights standards

In signing these agreements, Switzerland is setting a standard for international climate projects that meet strict environmental protection requirements while also respecting international human rights standards. The agreements also commit both parties to using a method that prevents double counting of emission reductions. The projects will be regularly reviewed to ensure that they meet the established criteria.


Address for enquiries

Franz Perrez, Ambassador, Head of International Affairs, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Tel. +41 58 462 93 23



Publisher

The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html

General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC
https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/en/home.html

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en

Only a small number of press releases have been translated into English. The majority are only available in German, French or Italian.

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