Bilateral climate agreements

Bilateral agreements on emission reductions and carbon storage abroad

Under the Paris Agreement, Switzerland has committed to halving its emissions from 1990 levels by 2030 (Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC). This is to be achieved in part by funding climate protection projects abroad. Such bilateral or plurilateral cooperation is envisaged under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. To this end, Switzerland is concluding a number of bilateral treaties, which set the cooperation framework and state the requirements for recognition of the international transfer of emission reductions by the treaty parties. These agreements thus establish a legal basis for commercial contracts between buyers and sellers of emission reductions. Interested countries or stakeholders can contact the Federal Office for the Environment at carbonoffset@bafu.admin.ch. The projects authorised under the bilateral agreements can be found here.

Switzerland intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. For hard-to-cut emissions, the Federal Council's long-term climate strategy and its report proposes the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and negative emission technologies (NET) (CO2 capture, removal and storage). Switzerland intends to cooperate with various countries in this respect. International agreements will thus establish the framework for carbon storage abroad to be counted towards Switzerland's climate target.

Treaties under Article 6.2 (Paris Agreement)

Accord de mise en œuvre de l’Accord de Paris entre la
Confédération suisse et le Royaume du Maroc

Accord de mise en oeuvre de l'Accord de Paris entre la Confederation suisse et le Royaume du Maroc (PDF, 667 kB, 07.11.2022)

Agreement with the Republic of Malawi

Implementing Agreement to the Paris Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Malawy - English (PDF, 597 kB, 16.11.2022)

Durchführungsabkommen zum Übereinkommen von Paris zwischen dem Schweizerischen Bundesrat und der Regierung der Republik Malawi (PDF, 723 kB, 16.11.2022)

Agreement with the Republic of Uruguay

Implementing Agreement to the Paris Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay - English (PDF, 614 kB, 12.12.2022)

Acuerdo de Implementación Suiza y la República oriental del Uruguay - Español (PDF, 727 kB, 12.12.2022)

Durchführungsabkommen zum Übereinkommen von Paris zwischen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft und der Republik Östlich des Uruguay (PDF, 795 kB, 12.12.2022)

Agreement with the Republic of Chile

Implementing Agreement to the Paris Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and the Government of the Republic of Chile (PDF, 803 kB, 20.08.2024)

Acuerdo de Implementación del Acuerdo de Paris entre el Consejo Federal Suizo y el Gobierno de la República de Chile (PDF, 852 kB, 20.08.2024)

Durchführungsabkommen zum Übereinkommen von Paris zwischen dem Schweizerischen Bundesrat und der Regierung der Republik Chile (PDF, 953 kB, 20.08.2024)

Agreement with the Republic of Tunisia

Implementing Agreement to the Paris Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and the Republic of Tunisia (PDF, 594 kB, 20.08.2024)

Accord de mise en oeuvre de l'Accord de Paris entre la Confédération Suisse et la République Tunisienne (PDF, 648 kB, 20.08.2024)

Agreement with the Republic of Kenya

Implementing Agreement to the Paris Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Kenya (PDF, 600 kB, 02.05.2025)

Durchführungsabkommen zum Übereinkommen von Paris zwischen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft und der Republik Kenia (PDF, 716 kB, 02.05.2025)

International CCS and NET agreements

Agreement with the Kingdom of Norway

Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Norway on cross-border cooperation on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage and Carbon Dioxide Removal (PDF, 666 kB, 18.06.2025)

Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Norway on cross-border cooperation on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage and Carbon Dioxide Removal (Norwegian Language Version) (PDF, 644 kB, 18.06.2025)

Abkommen zwischen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft und dem Königreich Norwegen über grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit bei der Kohlenstoffabscheidung, -nutzung und -speicherung und der Kohlenstoffentnahme (PDF, 791 kB, 18.06.2025)

Pilot projects in collaboration with the private sector

On 17 June 2025, a coalition consisting of Swiss International Air Lines, Swiss Post, SwissRe, UBS and Zürcher Kantonalbank in collaboration with ClimeFi, as well as SIX in collaboration with Carbonfuture, as well as the City of Zurich and Industrielle Werke Basel in collaboration with Climeworks, as well as Neustark announced pilot activities under the bilateral agreement with Norway. Symbolic amounts of carbon dioxide removals achieved in Norway will be transferred to Swiss buyers, and vice versa. The goal is to demonstrate the world’s first international transfer of negative emissions in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and to gain early experience in this emerging market.

Memorandum of Understanding with Sweden

Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of the Swiss Confederation and the Swedish Energy Agency on a Cooperation for International Transfer of Industrial Carbon Removals (PDF, 166 kB, 21.12.2023)

Joint Declaration of Intent with Iceland

Declaration of Intent with Iceland on Cooperation on Climate Change Mitigation (PDF, 71 kB, 20.07.2021)

Memorandum of Understanding with the Netherlands

Memorandum of Understanding between the State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of the Netherlands and the Head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland on Cooperation on Carbon Capture and Storage and Carbon Dioxide Removal (PDF, 95 kB, 22.03.2022)