Switzerland has signed the Paris Climate Agreement. In doing so, it has committed itself to halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The CO is supposed to help2– Law that we will vote on on June 13th. Polls suggest that it finds a majority in the population. But above all: Everyone is behind the goal of limiting global warming.
All? No! As Blick revealed, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is not one of them. It insists on its independence and – contrary to what its President Thomas Jordan had promised – continues to invest in coal miners. In fact, the SNB is thus undermining the federal government’s climate policy. And your boss even makes false promises about it.
SP chief tightened screw
Parliament will not let that rest. SP Co-President Cédric Wermuth (35) makes it clear that his party will ensure that Jordan goes to one of the relevant parliamentary commissions and explains himself. While a lot has been gained for the green environmental politician Bastien Girod (40), “if we join the CO2-Agree to the law, thanks to which the SNB must at least declare its risks in this area, “the wormwood goes far too little.
“Independence does not mean irresponsibility,” says the comrade. It is clear to him that the SNB cannot shirk its responsibility. Either the National Bank also participates in climate protection, or they will be forced to do so by making the law more precise.
GLP Fischer wants to confront Jordan
GLP finance politician Roland Fischer (56) also thinks that the SNB, as part of the federal government, has to subordinate itself to the Swiss climate targets. He, too, wants to know from Jordan how it came about that the SNB did not follow its president’s promise.
With its strong financial industry, Switzerland would have a strong lever in hand to promote environmentally friendly investments. But the SNB is only half-heartedly involved. The National Bank is one of the largest investors in the world. With its foreign exchange investments valued at 951 billion Swiss francs, it has a weighty instrument in hand for making financial flows climate-friendly.
SNB continues to invest in oil giants
Now it turns out that Jordan’s statements should be treated with caution. The SNB had left only five smaller coal construction companies by the end of 2020. And: large corporations such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell and BP are not affected by the alleged exit from fossil fuels. Together, these four multinationals are responsible for ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions since 1965.