Switzerland signs agreements with Denmark on carbon storage
Berne, 03.09.2025 — On 3 September, Switzerland signed two agreements with Denmark that enable the export and permanent storage of Swiss CO2 in Denmark. They also serve as a basis for further cooperation in the field of negative emission technologies. Denmark is Switzerland's second partner country for carbon storage after Norway. The Federal Council approved the agreements between Switzerland and Denmark on 27 August.
As the potential for carbon storage in Switzerland is limited, the country needs access to carbon storage facilities abroad, which is why on 27 August, the Federal Council approved two agreements with Denmark. These enable the export and permanent storage of Swiss CO2 in Denmark. They also form the basis for further collaboration on CCS and NET projects. On 3 September, the Swiss ambassador to Denmark, Mauro Reina, signed the agreements for Switzerland. This took place during a video conference attended by Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and the Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard Møller.
In its 2022 strategy to expand CCS and NET, the Federal Council envisaged concluding agreements with at least two partner countries by the end of 2025. With the approval of the agreements with Denmark on 27 August, this goal has been achieved. This follows on from the agreement on cooperation on CCS and NET reached with Norway in June.
Background
Under its Climate and Innovation Act, Switzerland has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. This will be achieved primarily through emission reductions. Hard-to-avoid emissions, for example from the cement industry, waste recovery and agriculture, must be offset with technologies that capture CO2 at source (carbon capture and storage, CCS) or permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere (negative emission technologies, NET). The federal government has been promoting the use of such technologies under the CIA since 1 January.
Links
Video of the signing of the agreement with Denmark (Instagram)
DETEC: Dossier on the signing of the agreement with Norway on 17 June 2025