Switzerlands famed mountains are at extreme risk from climate change. Just in the last week, a huge chunk of the summit of Fluchthorn (also known as Piz Fenga) collapsed. The 3,399m mountain lies in the Silvretta Alps on the border between Austria and Switzerland. Thousands of tons of rock fell because of thawing permafrost.

Now, Swiss voters have backed a new law that seeks to accelerate the countrys shift from fossil fuels to renewable energies and reach zero emissions by 2050. In all, 59.1% of voters approved the governments Climate and Innovation law.

The government and all major parties, except for the right-wing Swiss Peoples Party, had called to vote in favour of the bill.

According to the Swissinfo website,

The new climate and innovation lawExternal link, approved by parliament in September 2022, aims to kill several birds with one stone: it sets out CO2 emissions milestones to ensure Switzerland meets its international climate commitments and seeks a gradual reduction of imported fossil fuels in favour of Swiss-made renewables to improve energy security.

The law was drawn up as an indirect counterproposal to the so-called Glacier Initiative, and incorporates the main objective of the initiative namely, for Switzerland to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But the text uses a carrot-not-stick approach: no taxes or compulsory action but instead financial support CHF3.2 billion ($3.2 billion) over ten years for homeowners to replace electric, gas or oil heating systems with more climate-friendly systems like heat pumps. Businesses will also be incentivised to invest in green technologies.