Switzerland commits to a 20 percent CO2 cut

Yesterday, the Swiss government committed to cut its carbon emissions by at least 20 percent from its 1990 levels by 2020. According to Reuters, the Swiss proposal is almost identical with a proposal by the European Union – of which it is not a member. The cut is larger than the average cuts planned by industrialized nations of between 10 and 14 percent. However, the proposal is not as comprehensive as the demands of a public referendum proposal for a cut of at least 30 percent, Reuters reports. "By adopting such weak climate targets, the Swiss government ignores scientific facts and refuses to take its responsibilities in the struggle against climate change," says Alexander Hauri, who leads Greenpeace Switzerland's climate campaign, according to AFP. In 2007, a UN panel of climate experts recommended cuts of between 25 and 40 percent by 2020 to avoid the worst of global warming in order to prevent dangerous effects of climate change