When the climate changes, so must the law!

If the Solar Impulse Foundation takes a position in favour of this climate law, it is because the technical solutions resulting from Swiss innovation are available today to achieve its objectives without requiring sacrifice by its people. It will even reduce citizens' bills, because clean technologies, through greater efficiency, avoid the waste of energy and natural resources that is so costly.

The Solar Impulse Foundation wants to highlight the benefits of the climate law for the Swiss population

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Lausanne, Switzerland. 15 May 2023 - For the Solar Impulse Foundation and more than 100 organisations, companies, and experts active in the clean technology sector in Switzerland, the federal law on climate protection objectives, innovation and the reinforcement of energy security, which will be voted upon by citizens on 18 June, represents much more than an ecological interest. Its adoption would lead to a modernisation of Switzerland and would serve both the country's economic interests and the purchasing power of its citizens. It is part of a unifying vision of an exciting ecological transition that transcends political divisions.

In order to demonstrate the opportunities offered by this law as well as the multiplicity of clean technologies that make it possible to achieve its goals, the Solar Impulse Foundation will launch a tour entitled "Destination: Solutions" to enable the public to discover the face of Swiss entrepreneurs in the green economy.

If the Solar Impulse Foundation takes a position in favour of this climate law, it is because the technical solutions resulting from Swiss innovation are available today to achieve its objectives without requiring sacrifice by its people. It will even reduce citizens' bills, because clean technologies, through greater efficiency, avoid the waste of energy and natural resources that is so costly.

"It should not be called the Climate Law, as it awakens anti-ecological fantasies, but rather the Modernisation and Efficiency Law, as it will create a country with modern infrastructure with cheap, clean energy and greater purchasing power for citizens," says Bertrand Piccard, President of the Solar Impulse Foundation. 

"I will vote 'YES' to this law because it allows for the social, economic and ecological development of Switzerland. Not only will this law contribute to the creation of jobs and the improvement of the purchasing power of the most modest households thanks to the reduction of waste, but it will also ensure the country's energy independence while protecting the environment. It will appeal to all political persuasions. So why hesitate?" continues Bertrand Piccard.

The Solar Impulse Foundation believes that the adoption of this law would create an environment conducive to the adoption of cleantech solutions at the pace and scale necessary to achieve the climate goals. Today, the success of the green transition no longer depends on the continuous development of new technological solutions, but rather on creating the right conditions for the adoption of these innovations. Policy and legislation are key elements in building this framework by creating the need to use solutions rather than letting them lie dormant in research laboratories.

Destination : Solutions - a showcase for Swiss innovation

The Solar Impulse Foundation identifies technical solutions that protect the environment while supporting economic development. In order to inspire people to vote YES, the Foundation is launching "Destination : Solutions", a series of reports which give voice to the country's green economy. These will highlight the obstacles that technology developers face on a daily basis in deploying their innovation and the importance of a positive outcome on 18 June for their businesses.

"We face a lot of administrative obstacles, mainly in terms of permits. First of all, we have to facilitate, the processes are very long, sometimes complicated. When you are a small company, this can really be a limit to our development and put us in danger," says Laurent Coulot, CEO and co-founder of Insolight.

Throughout "Destination : Solutions", we will be meeting with technology providers active in the energy, construction and building renovation sectors. These include high-performance solar tiles that blend in with the appearance of surrounding buildings, and geothermal panels that can transform any existing underground infrastructure into a renewable source for heating or cooling buildings. We will also discover a simple but effective shower installation that recovers waste heat by using it to heat incoming water.

The Solar Impulse Foundation is committed to going even further and will submit 25+ recommendations across sectors to the Swiss Parliament for consideration in future parliamentary sessions.

About the Solar Impulse Foundation
The Solar Impulse Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded by explorer and clean technology pioneer Bertrand Piccard. Following the success of the first round-the-world flight in a solar aircraft, its mission is to accelerate the adoption of solutions capable of protecting the environment in an economically viable manner. It thus reflects the unifying and realistic approach of its founder around "Qualitative Growth". Demonstrating that it is possible to address environmental challenges without undermining economic development, the Foundation achieved its first goal in April 2021 of identifying and labelling 1000 "Effective Solutions", assessed as clean and cost-effective by independent experts. While continuing to grow its portfolio of solutions, Bertrand Piccard and the Foundation seek to facilitate the emergence of these technologies on the market by advocating for the modernisation of the legislative framework and by publishing guides to accompany political and economic decision-makers in their ecological transition.