Switzerland Rated Greenest
The Country Fights Global Warming as Glaciers in the Alps Receding
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
When the Swiss ambassador to Korea sees tiny cracks on windows in his office in Songwol-dong, Seoul, it is a reminder of a fight that the entire earth is now waging against: global warming.
As global warming makes frequent appearances on newspapers and TVs around the globe, Yale University released a list of the greenest countries in the world in January.
Switzerland topped the list with a score of 95.5 points out of 100 followed by Sweden and Norway. South Korea ranked 51st with 79.4 points. The data was collected on the basis of greenhouse gas emission, water purity and conservation practices.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Swiss Ambassador Christian Hauswirth, 62, said the same impact of climate change is felt in Switzerland - more so in recent years.
"An environment issue is affecting us because we can watch. You can see what's happening," he said, referring to the range of Alps and mountaintops in Switzerland.
Glaciers on mountaintops in the Alps are receding as the temperature rises, and that is quite visible from a distance.
"I've never lived in this temperature in my life," the ambassador added. "The temperature has risen 1.5-Celsius degree over the past 20 years," which also led to melting permafrost in Switzerland.
But what could make Switzerland the greenest country, among others, is civil participation and a political tool that enables citizens to take part.
European countries and the people have traditionally been attentive to the environment, which is also the case in Switzerland. Throughout the country whose size is only one third of Korea, are more than 60 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to the environment only, he said.
Furthermore, "If you see a polluted river, you (as an individual) can raise the alarm through a political tool that allows you to take an initiative," he said, repeatedly explaining the reasons why Switzerland is more successful in the fight against global warming than other countries.
Switzerland's political system is characterized by its strong element of "direct democracy."
Direct democracy guarantees a high degree of citizen's participation in the political process through a constitutional initiative and a referendum, both of which could overturn parliamentary legislations.
Another element for success is attributed to commitment by private industries to environmental protection.
Unlike South Korea, "We do not have heavy industries," the ambassador said.
Seventy-five percent of Swiss industry is service-related. The country has, for example, no car industry, and that "makes easier it to keep noxious emissions under control."
The business sector that is held accountable for greenhouse gas emission is cooperative in environmental protection.
One example, he said, is a voluntary agreement signed between the Swiss government and fuel importers in 2005. According to the agreement, "The importers agree to pay 1.8 cents per liter of fuel they import."
"The proceeds go into a pool that promotes fuel saving projects in Switzerland and abroad, such as research on alternative energy," the ambassador said.
Also, starting a new year in 2008, the government introduced a "CO2 fee," which imposes a special fee on fuel consumed for heating.
Heating fuel is the worst contributor to the greenhouse gas - 25 percent of greenhouse gas is produced by heating - that now needs to come under control. The Swiss government encourages consumers to save heating fuel and to use alternative energy for heating, Hauswirth said.
In Korea, however, all these measures implemented by the Swiss government may sound like a distant dream.
The Korean government is not advanced in terms of policy on reduction of greenhouse gas emission, Chang Lim-seok, a researcher at the government-funded National Institute of Environmental Research, said.
"Korea is in the beginning stages tackling climate change," with no particular policy for cutting back on the greenhouse gas emission, Chang said.
However, as one of the big producers of greenhouse gases, Korea is coming under pressure from the international community to reduce its level of greenhouse gas emission significantly.
For Korea, it is not an easy decision to make because that would become an unimaginable economic setback for Korea.
Heavy industries like oil refineries and chemical and automobile industries formed the backbone of the Korean economy from the 1970s.
A halt to these industries would put a break on the engine of the entire Korean economy. Likewise, related industries are more hesitant than willing to cooperate in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
To keep these industries at work and to keep the greenhouse gas emission low, "efforts to raise efficiency of oil and to develop alternative sources of energy are under way," Chang said.