Switzerland has had a biodiversity strategy in place since 2012. The strategy defines the main focus of the Confederation's commitment to conserving species diversity, ecosystems and genetic diversity on the basis of ten strategic goals. The Federal Council supplemented the strategy with an action plan in 2017.
The Swiss Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) emerged from the Rio de Janeiro Sustainability Summit. In 1992, Switzerland signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), thereby committing itself to formulating a national strategy. The SBS, adopted in 2012, states that Switzerland will strive to conserve and promote biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the economy and society. The Federal Council decision of 20 November 2024 reconfirms the validity of the SBS targets and extends them until 2030.
SBS Action Plan
In 2017 the Federal Council adopted the Swiss Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (AP SBS). This is an important instrument for implementing the strategy.
Phase I (2017–24)
Phase I of the AP SBS, running from 2017 to 2024, involves a number of immediate measures and synergy measures, as well as pilot projects implemented in conjunction with partners within the Federal Administration and from the cantons, communes and third parties. SBS AP I has achieved some important milestones and led to activities over the longer term, such as a confirmed increase in funding under the nature conservation and forest biodiversity programme agreements concluded between the Confederation and the cantons. Along with funds made available in other sectors (e.g. agriculture, forestry, transport), this will help to promote biodiversity in Switzerland.
2022 Impact analysis
During Phase I of the AP SBS, the FOEN evaluated all measures and pilot projects for their ecological and economic impact on the preservation and promotion of biodiversity. Based on the findings, the Federal Council decided to extend the phase by twelve months, up to the end of 2024. It also instructed the FOEN to draw up a set of measures for the second implementation phase from 2025 to the end of 2030.
Phase II (2025–30)
On 20 November 2024, the Federal Council commissioned the FOEN to implement the second phase of the Biodiversity Action Plan from 2025 to 2030 (AP SBS II). AP SBS II specifically addresses existing shortcomings in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the activities taking place under the programme agreements and sectoral policies. It does this by filling knowledge gaps, running pilot applications to test promising approaches and drawing up implementation concepts. The content of AP SBS II makes reference to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The need for action is met in the form of the FOEN’s own initiatives and by assessing those of other federal offices. The FOEN’s 15 measures address the effects of climate change, on biodiversity and insect mortality in particular. New approaches to promoting species and preserving genetic diversity are also being developed and tested. Further measures address the fields of economy, knowledge and innovation; one set of measures aims to improve the ecology of specific habitats such as forests, lakes and settlements and to improve their connectivity.
Other federal offices with policy areas involving biodiversity will define measures to be implemented in AP SBS II. Spatial planning, transport, energy production, agriculture and foreign trade all make important contributions to the federal Action Plan.
Further Informations
Last modification 21.06.2023
