Petrol prices in Switzerland to increase by up to 12 cents per litre
Swiss parliament will impose new levies on petrol prices, increasing the cost by up to 12 cents per litre.
Parliament has increased the fuel surcharge in order to help Switzerland meet its targets under the Paris Agreement.
By 2024, petrol should cost a maximum of ten cents more, with that increasing to 12 cents in 2025.
The plan passed with a clear majority.
‘We’ve still got plenty to do’
Supporters of the plan said it would help the country achieve its carbon reduction aims while fuel would also be cheaper than it was two years ago, due to declines in global fuel prices.
Beat Jans, from the Social Democrats, said the surcharge would be an incentive for Swiss to switch over to electric mobility.
READ: Swiss MPs vote for eco-friendly flight tax
Swiss President and Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said traffic accounts for a third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest single source.
Sommaruga said that unlike other sectors of the economy, transportation was falling behind efforts to hit environmental targets, largely because of vehicles with high fuel consumption.
“We’ve still got plenty to do”, Sommaruga said.
The proposal also includes plans to encourage fuel efficient vehicles.
The plan received opposition from centrist and right-wing parties, with the FDP and the SVP both arguing that maximums should be set at 8 and 10 cents per litre in 2024 and 2025.
Mike Egger, of the SVP, said the cumulative cost for people who depended on their cars to get to work could rise from 260 million francs to 624 million francs per year.
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Parliament has increased the fuel surcharge in order to help Switzerland meet its targets under the Paris Agreement.
By 2024, petrol should cost a maximum of ten cents more, with that increasing to 12 cents in 2025.
The plan passed with a clear majority.
‘We’ve still got plenty to do’
Supporters of the plan said it would help the country achieve its carbon reduction aims while fuel would also be cheaper than it was two years ago, due to declines in global fuel prices.
Beat Jans, from the Social Democrats, said the surcharge would be an incentive for Swiss to switch over to electric mobility.
READ: Swiss MPs vote for eco-friendly flight tax
Swiss President and Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said traffic accounts for a third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest single source.
Sommaruga said that unlike other sectors of the economy, transportation was falling behind efforts to hit environmental targets, largely because of vehicles with high fuel consumption.
“We’ve still got plenty to do”, Sommaruga said.
The proposal also includes plans to encourage fuel efficient vehicles.
The plan received opposition from centrist and right-wing parties, with the FDP and the SVP both arguing that maximums should be set at 8 and 10 cents per litre in 2024 and 2025.
Mike Egger, of the SVP, said the cumulative cost for people who depended on their cars to get to work could rise from 260 million francs to 624 million francs per year.
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