Workshop "Auswirkungen des Klimawandels im Ausland – Risiken und Chancen für die Schweiz"

The workshop «Auswirkungen des Klimawandels im Ausland – Risiken und Chancen für die Schweiz» (International impacts of climate change – risks and opportunities for Switzerland) took place in the Semper Aula of ETH Zurich on 11th September 2018. Among the invited participants were representatives of the federal administration (esp. BABS, BAFU, BFE, BLW, BWL, DEZA, EDA, SEM, SIF) as well as delegates from academia and private businesses.

Workshop topic and goals

Switzerland is not only directly affected by climate change with impacts on a national level. Due to its inter-connectedness in the world, weather and climate events abroad can also indirectly affect Switzerland. Bad wheat harvests in the USA caused by drought can influence global market prices, a flood in Thailand can cut off Swiss companies’ logistic supply chains or an increase in droughts in Sudan can lead to more people deciding to migrate. A current research project led by external pageBAFU (the Federal Office for the Environment) analyses the risks and opportunities for Switzerland that derive from global impacts of climate change. The research looks at how these impacts affect the import and export of goods, the food and energy supply, financial services, migration, security and development cooperation.

In the morning some participants presented how their work was affected by international impacts of climate change and what measures were being taken already. In the afternoon the results of the research project were discussed and put into context.

DownloadWorkshop agenda (PDF, 480 KB) (in German)