@luigijorio.bsky.social
#ClimateChange and #Energy journalist at #SWIswissinfo.ch, the international arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Have a look at my coverage: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/luigi-jorio/
“Access to cooling has to be treated as essential infrastructure, alongside water, energy and sanitation, because heat is now a leading cause of climate-related deaths”, says Clara Camarasa, senior advisor at UNEP CCC and former policy analyst at the @iea.org. @unep.org
Switzerland’s new energy challenge: keeping cool in a warming climate
Scorching summers are driving up the use of air conditioning in Switzerland and worldwide. What does this mean for the electricity grid?
swissinfo.ch
The fires which have been seen across Europe and beyond are linked to a specific weather pattern that has been observed since the beginning of the year, says Julia Miller, a wildfire expert at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. @wslresearch.bsky.social
How to prevent wildfires in Switzerland and Europe
With risk levels high across Switzerland, an expert explains why the wildfire season started early in Europe this year and what can help.
swissinfo.ch
Forced labour is prohibited in Switzerland and the country has ratified international labour and human rights conventions. However, Switzerland does not have legislation that explicitly prohibits the import of goods made with forced labour.
Truth or tale: Is it true that forced labour exists in Swiss supply chains?
Switzerland is among 60 countries hit with new US tariffs for not doing enough to combat forced labour. Is there any truth to the accusation?
swissinfo.ch
The AI boom is forcing the industry to rethink how data centres are cooled. Researchers in Switzerland are developing technologies that promise to reduce energy and water use. But can better cooling really solve AI's growing environmental footprint?
Swiss researchers push to make AI data centres more sustainable
Swiss researchers are testing liquid cooling and heat recovery to cut AI data centres’ energy and water use. But cooling alone may not be enough.
swissinfo.ch
La canicule exceptionnelle du mois de juin en Suisse a mis en évidence les difficultés à faire face à ces nouveaux extrêmes climatiques, affirme Sonia Seneviratne, climatologue à @ethz.ch . @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social
Quand la canicule arrive plus tôt: les leçons à tirer pour la Suisse
La canicule en juin en Suisse a mis en évidence les difficultés à faire face à ces nouveaux extrêmes climatiques, affirme Sonia Seneviratne de l’EPFZ.
swissinfo.ch
What is the current situation regarding Switzerland’s power stations and the development of this technology? We discuss this with Professor Maurizio Barbato of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI).
Nuclear power in Switzerland: 'The most sensible policy is to keep the existing plants running'
The Swiss government and parliament want the ban on new plants in Switzerland to be lifted. The final say will rest with the people but what is the current status of the industry?
swissinfo.ch
The Gotthard rail tunnel – at 57.1km the longest in the world – has become a cornerstone of freight and passenger transport across the Alps. But has it really lived up to expectations?
The Gotthard Base Tunnel ten years on
Ten years on, has the Gotthard Base Tunnel fulfilled expectations, shortened travel times through the Alps and brought more passengers and freight onto trains?
swissinfo.ch
By 2030 artificial intelligence (AI) could consume as much water as 1.3 billion people and require as much electricity each year as three times the annual consumption of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria combined.
These five charts explain why nobody wants a data centre next door
Around the world, communities are increasingly concerned about the amount of electricity, water and land these facilities require.
swissinfo.ch
The idea of tackling drought with “on-demand” rain is a fantasy, according to a cloud-seeding expert at @ethz.ch.
Why artificial rain is not a solution to drought
Many countries invest millions in artificial rain. However, cloud seeding cannot prevent drought, says a cloud seeding expert in Switzerland.
swissinfo.ch
The heat is being felt even at high altitudes. By the end of June, Switzerland is expected to reach the so‑called “glacier loss day”. @wslresearch.bsky.social @matthias-huss.bsky.social
Swiss glaciers have already used up their winter reserves
Swiss glaciers are set to exhaust their winter reserves within days – an unusually early milestone driven not only by the current heatwave but also by months of unfavourable conditions.
swissinfo.ch
Even without air conditioning, it is possible to significantly reduce the perceived temperature inside your home.
Swiss study: five easy ways to stay cool in hot weather
From menthol scents to smart ventilation, a Swiss researcher reveals five simple ways to reduce heat stress and stay comfortable at home – no air conditioner required.
swissinfo.ch
In Switzerland, the world’s first removable solar power plant installed along a railway is now in operation. @railwaygazette.com
Solar energy from railways shows first positive results in Switzerland
The world’s first removable solar power plant, installed alongside a railway line, is now operational in Switzerland. It is attracting interest in Italy, France and Asia.
swissinfo.ch
Switzerland’s climate emissions gap is significantly larger than officially reported, according to research by the Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
Switzerland’s emissions gap is larger than officially stated
Switzerland’s climate gap is far larger than officially reported, with research showing authorities underestimated it by up to a third.
swissinfo.ch
Despite climate commitments and the expansion of renewable energy, Switzerland – like the rest of the world – remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels. @fossiltreaty.bsky.social @greenpeace.eu
Charts show fossil fuel reliance in Switzerland and worldwide
Despite climate commitments and expansion of renewable energy, Switzerland – like the rest of the world – is heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
swissinfo.ch
Since records began in 1864, spring temperatures in Switzerland have risen steadily, with a marked acceleration from the 1990s onward.
What spring temperatures in Switzerland reveal about the climate
The spring 2026 ended with unprecedented heat, capping a season that will go down as one of the most remarkable in Switzerland’s meteorological history.
swissinfo.ch
“We’re not in the best position to face the warmest period of the year,” says Vincent Humphrey of the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology. @meteoschweiz.ch
Should Switzerland prepare for a severe drought this summer?
Fifty years after the “drought of the century”, Switzerland is heading into summer with unusually low water reserves. Drought can have unexpected effects, but simple measures can prevent critical situ...
swissinfo.ch
“An event that used to occur roughly once every ten years without human influence now happens three or four times per decade,” Sonia Seneviratne told Swiss public radio RTS. @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social
Heatwave season expanding in Europe, warns Swiss climate scientist
Swiss climatologist Sonia Seneviratne warns that the heatwave season is expanding, underscoring growing climate risks.
swissinfo.ch
"Together, wind and solar generated 22% of global electricity in April, compared with 20% from gas." More evidence: low cost wins in power generation. Gas is expensive and getting more expensive.
Global wind and solar power outpace gas for first time in April, report shows
Wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas globally in April for the first month ever, data analysed by UK-based think tank Ember showed on Thursday.
reuters.com
Glaciologists and officials in canton Valais are closely tracking the Oigschtchummun Glacier above the hamlet of Fafleralp in the Lötschental, just a few kilometres from the Birch Glacier and the devastated village.
Swiss glacier shows instability near disaster‑hit Blatten
Almost a year after a glacier collapse destroyed the Swiss mountain village of Blatten, another ice giant in the same Alpine valley threatens to partially collapse.
swissinfo.ch
One more year: Ice loss at Konkordiaplatz on Aletsch #Glacier is just... wow 😲 Minus 4.6 metres of ice. Will there ever be a call: "Make Aletsch Great Again"? It would be about time
Like pulling the plug of a bathtub: an incredible mass of #glacier ice disappearing at Griesgletscher (🇨🇭/🇮🇹) in one century. It felt emotional to visit the exact same spot @swisstopo cartographers chose in 1919. The view was so different. Simply unbelievable!! @vaw-glaciology.bsky.social
Why Switzerland remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels despite its climate goals?
Switzerland’s fossil fuel dependence explained
Why Switzerland remains dependent on fossil‑fuels, and how geopolitical, economic and political forces continue to shape its energy choices.
swissinfo.ch
“The 2026 findings point to a psychological turning point for Switzerland,” according to Marcus Burke, a Swiss-based analyst at Ipsos.
Climate fatalism and disengagement in Switzerland are on the rise
Despite being one of the world’s fastest-warming countries, Switzerland stands out for its public’s low appetite for climate action.
swissinfo.ch
Switzerland is among the ten countries warming the fastest in the world. @scnat.ch @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social
Five numbers show how the climate is changing in Switzerland
Switzerland ranks among the countries most affected by climate change. We break down the impacts using five key figures.
swissinfo.ch
“Santa Marta represents a historic breakthrough: it is the first time we bring together a group of nations willing to act,” said Tzeporah Berman, founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Non‑Proliferation Treaty Initiative. @tzeporah.bsky.social @fossiltreaty.bsky.social
Colombia summit marks ‘historic’ step toward phase-out of fossil fuels
Representatives from nearly 60 countries met in Colombia to discuss a global shift away from fossil fuels, a move Switzerland’s environment ambassador described as a positive step forward.
swissinfo.ch
As the Middle East conflict pushes up fuel costs, households across Europe are turning to solar panels, heat pumps and electric cars. In Switzerland, residents face hurdles on the path to renewable energy.
Switzerland is falling behind in Europe’s clean energy surge
As the Iran war pushes up fuel costs, households across Europe are turning to solar panels, heat pumps and electric cars. In Switzerland, residents face hurdles on the path to renewable energy.
swissinfo.ch
“Unfortunately, when discussing data centre sustainability, nobody considers the IT component,” says Matthias Haymoz of the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association (SDEA). “This is a problem because today 80% of a data centre’s energy goes into IT.”
Swiss organisation wins award for tracking data centre pollution
The Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association has received international recognition for a computer that measures, for the first time, the environmental and climate impact of a data centre.
swissinfo.ch
"The conflict in the Middle East serves as a stark, tragic validation of why the Santa Marta Conference is urgent", says Alex Rafalowicz of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. @alexraf.bsky.social @fossiltreaty.bsky.social
‘The transition away from fossil fuels is a prerequisite for global peace’
Alex Rafalowicz of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative talks about the impact of the war in the Middle East on the conference on fossil fuels.
swissinfo.ch
"Fossil fuels are not delivering energy security — they are undermining it", says Paola Yanguas Parra, a policy advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. @iisd.org @paoyanguas.bsky.social
Switzerland wants a global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels
A conference in Colombia seeks to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuel. Switzerland supports a roadmap for a global phase-out.
swissinfo.ch
The global rise in oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East has made the import of fossil fuels more expensive. For Switzerland, the additional energy costs could amount to nearly CHF5 billion ($6.3 billion) per year, according to a researcher at @ethz.ch. @brunncy.bsky.social
Switzerland faces a steep energy bill due to the Middle East conflict
The additional energy costs could amount to nearly CHF5 billion ($6.3 billion) per year, according to a researcher.
swissinfo.ch