CO2 Act (Switzerland) topic's main category politics of climate change
The Federal Act on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions (CO2 Act) (German: CO2-Gesetz, French: Loi sur le CO2, Italian: Legge sul CO2), is a Swiss federal law that regulates carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate climate change.The CO2 Act is at the core of Switzerland's climate political measures. One of the key measures is the introduction of a carbon tax, to disincentivize greenhouse gas emissions. Part of the levy is used for climate protection, and the remaining amounts are redistributed to the population and business community in proportion to their original payment (art. 36). Another pillar of the tax is the introduction of an emissions trading scheme.
The law is based on articles 74 and 89 of the Swiss Constitution. According to these, the Confederation shall "legislate on the protection of the population and its natural environment against damage or nuisance" (art. 74) and "on the use of energy by installations, vehicles and appliances" (art. 89).From 2023, the CO2 Act is supplemented by the Act on Climate Protection Targets, Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security. It sets the objective for Switzerland to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.