Around a third of animal and plant species in Switzerland are endangered – according to experts, biodiversity is in bad shape. The National Council wants to better protect the diversity of nature in the future, with a counter-proposal to the biodiversity initiative that has been submitted by various environmental organizations. National Councilor (SP/FR) and Pro-Natura President Ursula Schneider Schüttel, one of the promoters of the initiative, talks about the lack of butterflies in the garden and the reasons for the lack of biodiversity in an interview on the day.
SRF News: Biodiversity in Switzerland is in bad shape. How do you notice this in everyday life?
Ursula Schneider Schüttel: Insects are the clearest example: If you used to drive a car, after a trip, your windshield would be full of insects. You might also notice it in the garden, where there aren’t any butterflies that you saw when you were a child.
In a survey, almost 60 percent of those questioned said that biodiversity in Switzerland was good.
It’s nice and green in Switzerland. But green hills and meadows do not mean that biodiversity is good. The habitats in nature have been pushed back more and more by construction activity, by railway lines, airfields or motorways, but also by agriculture, which has also led to a decline in biodiversity.
Green hills and green meadows do not mean that biodiversity is good.
On Tuesday, the National Council discussed a counter-proposal from the Federal Council, which was accepted with one major change. It should not be a specific area, but a qualitative target should be specified. What does that mean?
The minority proposal, which got through, wants to designate biodiversity areas of national importance. These should not only be determined in terms of area, but also have qualitative characteristics. For example, there are butterfly species that depend on a specific location and on specific plants in this environment. If these plants are missing, the butterfly no longer has a habitat either.
Even if the target of 17 percent is no longer included in the proposal: More natural areas are needed for biodiversity and that means less area for agriculture and building zones.
It doesn’t mean that automatically. Farming can also take place in biodiversity areas. They are even dependent on agricultural activity taking place.
But will building then no longer be possible in such areas?
Then it depends on how you build. When it comes to building plants for renewable energies, for example, you have to look at what exactly you want to protect in this area and how you can protect it.
The low level of biodiversity in Switzerland also has something to do with the heavy construction activity. Then, as the SVP said on Tuesday, one would also have to think about immigration?
It would be the wrong approach to say that immigration is to blame. We have to make the settlement area better. We also noticed that in this hot summer: where there are trees, it is cooler, and trees also ensure diversity.
It would be the wrong approach to say that immigration is to blame. We have to make the settlement area better.
What can we do to improve biodiversity?
In the garden, even on the balcony, we can make sure that we provide food for insects with a box with flowering plants. We can also ensure that we don’t use pesticides in the garden, because they can also kill living beings.
Urs Leuthard conducted the interview.