Swiss authorities want to use a new climate bill approved last year to boost wind and solar power's current miniscule contribution to Switzerland's energy mix.. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/FileSwitzerland's largest wind farm, sitting astride the ridge of the Jura mountains by the French border, consists of only 16 turbines -- tiny compared to those of other European countries.
Authorities want to use a new climate bill approved last year to boost wind and solar power's current miniscule contribution to Switzerland's energy mix. While most environmental organisations back the law and its ambitions, a few smaller groups secured enough signatures to trigger a referendum under Switzerland's direct democracy system, amid fears it will fast-track large-scale energy projects and cause"unnecessary destruction of landscapes".