– What is the economy doing with the millions from the CO2 tax?
Each year, some 200 million francs are redistributed to businesses. Some don’t do anything special with it. Others are taking action for the climate.
Published today at 8:04 a.m.
What do companies do with the approximately 200 million francs they receive each year?
Gaëtan Bally/Keystone
It’s a story of geothermal panels, compressed earth bricks or the latest generation photovoltaic panels. Since 2008, the Confederation has levied a tax on CO2. This tax has also been maintained in the law on CO2. Adopted in mid-March by the Chambers, this legislation defines Switzerland’s climate policy for 2025-2030, after the failure at the polls of a first version in 2021.
As part of the debates, parliament kept the amount of the tax at 120 francs per tonne of CO2. The left, which wanted to raise it to 180 francs, was not followed. It also failed to increase the share of revenue allocated to financing programs in favor of the environment – essentially the program aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
The rule therefore remains the same: around two thirds of income is redistributed to the population and industry. For the first, this reimbursement is done through health insurance. For the second, by that of the AVS.
“Sustaining this tax is a major challenge, and we will still have to think about the evolution of the allocation of this money,” comments national councilor Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini (The Greens/GE), who was the commission’s rapporteur on this issue. . This concept of redistributive tax is relatively poorly understood by the population.” La Genevoise nevertheless remains attached to this mechanism. “The balance that has been put in place is virtuous. Energy-efficient individuals and businesses receive more money than they spend. The mechanism rewards eco-compatible actions.”
Money often unnoticed
Exactly: what do companies do with the approximately 200 million francs they receive each year? Vincent Eckert, director of the Swiss Climate Foundation, notes that the distribution mechanism also remains unknown to a large part of companies. “Most of them are not really aware of this money, which simply allows a reduction in their AVS contributions.”
However, large firms have developed support programs for environmental projects. And 31 of them pay this money to the Swiss Climate Foundation, which supports SMEs active in climate protection in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
This foundation, which presented itself at the headquarters of Vaudoise Assurances, manages around 3 million francs per year, or a little more than 1% of the total amount. “It would be desirable for more companies to use these funds for climate protection, but this remains a voluntary activity,” explains its president. Our goal is to support concrete actions, with both economic and climate results. The companies that finance us also need more ecological solutions, for example in construction.”
Since 2021, the strategy has focused on innovation, and therefore the development of new products. Among the 180 projects supported, 40% concern construction and building. The agri-food sector, which generates a third of global gas emissions, is also well represented. “Our support varies from 40,000 to 200,000 francs per project,” explains Vincent Eckert. The foundation’s subsidies are non-refundable, but payments are made as certain results are achieved.”
Geothermal energy without drilling
Voltiris, for example, has developed photovoltaic panel modules compatible with greenhouses. A system of filters lets in the light needed by the plants and concentrates the rest on photovoltaic panels. The energy produced is used to power greenhouse operations.
Terrabloc manufactures compressed earth blocks from excavation waste. Used inside homes, they make it possible to build partitions, load-bearing walls and, soon, slab elements. “This locally produced material allows walls to breathe, which also regulates humidity,” argues Rodrigo Fernandez, co-founder of Terrabloc.
The last company presented this Tuesday is an EPFL spin-off called Enerdrape. It has developed prefabricated geothermal panels. These harness thermal energy in underground spaces without drilling. They can be installed in parking lots or in tunnels, and can heat or cool buildings.
As an environmentalist, Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini welcomes such initiatives. “These climate investments are important to ensure the future of businesses,” she argues. A damper? Beyond financing innovation, she insists on the importance of allocating funds to the training of new professions and the fight against energy waste. “In the future, for example, we will also need people who know how to install solar panels and implement energy saving programs,” she concludes.
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Caroline Zuercher has been a journalist in the Switzerland section since 2005. She covers in particular topics related to health and health policy. Previously, she worked for Swissinfo and Le Matin.More informations
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