2020 target achievement review (for the years 2013 to 2020)

Switzerland narrowly missed its national target for 2020, but will meet its international commitment under the Kyoto Protocol for the years 2013–2020 thanks to emission reductions through projects abroad. According to clearly defined rules, Switzerland can take a part of the CO2 stored in Swiss forests and in Swiss harvested wood products into account, i.e. deduce it from its emissions.

National target (according to the CO2 Act)
Targets by sectors (according to the CO2 Ordinance)
International target (according to the Kyoto Protocol)

Development of greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland since 1990, including targets for 2020 under the CO2 Act and for the 2013–2020 period under the Kyoto Protocol. The accountable carbon sink (CO2 storage by Swiss forests and Swiss harvested wood products) as well as foreign emission reduction certificates are not shown in this diagram. The data are based on the greenhouse gas inventory of April 2022.

The current CO2 Act required Switzerland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % below the 1990 level by 2020 (national target). This corresponds to an average reduction by 15.8 % over the entire period 2013–2020 to which Switzerland committed internationally under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (international target). For the national target according to the CO2 Act, the emission reduction must be achieved entirely through domestic measures. The international target under the Kyoto Protocol additionally allows emission reductions achieved through projects abroad. An agreement between the Climate Cent Foundation and the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) regulates the acquisition of corresponding emission reduction certificates.

National and international targets allow the accountable carbon sink (CO2 storage by Swiss forests and Swiss harvested wood products) to be considered.

Anrechnung des Wald- und Holzsektors gemäss Kyoto-Protokoll (PDF, 217 kB, 16.04.2020)2. Verpflichtungsperiode 2013–2020 (in German, also available in French)

National target (according to the CO2 Act)

Balance of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2020 (values in million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year).
Greenhouse gas emissions (2020)	43.4
Accountable carbon sink (CO2 storage by Swiss forests and Swiss harvested wood products)	–0.3
Net emissions 2020	43.1
Target	43.0
Missing quantity	0.1

The mild weather in winter led to exceptionally low emissions from the buildings sector in 2020. In addition, the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic led to a reduction in emissions from transport. Nevertheless, Switzerland narrowly missed the national target according to CO2 Act for 2020.

Targets by sectors (according to the CO2 Ordinance)

Development of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport, industry and buildings sectors as well as of other emissions (agriculture, waste, synthetic gases) since 1990, including targets for 2015 and in 2020.

For 2015, the buildings and industry sectors met their interim targets, while emissions in the transport sector exceeded the target.

For 2020, only the industry sector met its expected contribution to the overall reduction target, while emissions in the buildings and transport sectors as well as other emissions exceeded the target.

Review of the targets by sectors for 2015 (according to the CO2 Ordinance) and the expected contribution to the overall reduction target for 2020 (according to explanatory report on the CO2 Ordinance). For 2015, no interim target has been defined for other emissions. The values given for the targets and the effective emissions correspond to a reduction percentage compared to the base year 1990.
	Target 2015	Emissions 2015	Target 2020	Emissions 2020
Buildings	–22 %	–27 %	–40 %	–39 %
Transport	0 %	+4 %	–10 %	–8 %
Industry	–7 %	–13 %	–15 %	–17 %
Other emissions	–	+5 %	–10 %	–2 %

International target (according to the Kyoto Protocol)

grafik_zielerreichung_kyoto_2022_EN — Balance of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions for the years 2013–2020 (sum in million tonnes of CO2 equivalents over all eight years). The vertical axis does not start at zero.

Switzerland managed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 11 % on average over the years 2013–2020 compared to 1990. However, the international target under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will only be met through additional contributions, namely the accountable carbon sink (CO2 storage by Swiss forests and Swiss harvested wood products) and emission reductions through projects abroad.

The final accounting at international level will take place after the review of the greenhouse gas inventory of April 2022 by an international expert review team mandated by the United Nations.