Environmentalists want stronger safeguards put in place to protect Switzerland's biodiversity, but many argue it is too expensive.
ADVERTISEMENTA referendum that concludes in Switzerland on Sunday has turned into a vote between environmentally minded voters who want better protections for biodiversity and those who argue it is too expensive.
Switzerland, renowned for its pristine lakes and majestic Alpine peaks, ranks among the world's richest countries whose plant and animal life is under the greatest threat.
The latest polls suggest that initial enthusiasm has waned for the proposal that would boost public funding to encourage farmers and others to set aside lands and waterways to let the wild landscape develop. The proposal would also increase the total area allocated for green spaces untouched by human development.
The contest, which is mostly decided by mail-in ballots followed by a morning of in-person voting Sunday, still looks tight. A poll by the gfs.bern published September 11 showed support falling to 46% in early September from 51% survey in an earlier poll in mid-August.
The federal government — parliament and the executive branch — opposes the plan, as do many rural voters and the country's main right-wing party, according to polls. They argue it is too costly; 630 million euros is already spent on biodiversity protection each year; and fear economic development will suffer.
Passage would cost at least another 420 million euros for national and local governments, the Federal Council estimates. The initiative would also, for example, prohibit construction of new railway lines through a protected dry meadows — even if such meadow is set aside and developed elsewhere, it says.
“Passage of the biodiversity initiative would severely limit (sustainable) energy and food production, restrict the use of forests and rural areas for tourism, and make construction more expensive,” argues the campaign for a “no” vote on its website. “YES to biodiversity, but NO to the extreme biodiversity initiative.”
Proponents, meanwhile, point to dwindling natural resources in Switzerland and threats to bees, frogs, birds, mosses and other wildlife. They argue that protected green spaces are “the main capital for tourism” and more of them would support local economies.
“Diversified nature guarantees air purity, drinkable water, pollination, fertility of the soil, and our food supply,” said a committee that backs the idea.
“But in Switzerland, biodiversity is suffering. One-third of all our plant and animal species are threatened or have already disappeared.”
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a think tank that counts 38 mostly rich countries as members, has produced a comparative look at threats to plant and animal life. Switzerland ranks among the top four countries with the highest rates of threatened species in all eight categories of wildlife.
The voting is part of the latest Swiss referendums, which take place four times a year to give voters a direct say in policymaking in the country of some nine million people.
The only other nationwide issue up for consideration this time is a pension reform plan backed by the government that also shows weakening support, the poll showed.