Renovate Switzerland

Renovate Switzerland is a Swiss civil resistance campaign launched in April 2022 which uses non-violent actions as a means to pressure the Swiss Federal Council to implement a national plan to insulate one million homes by 2040, in order to address the issues of climate change and the energy crisis.[1] It is part of an international network of civil resistance campaigns, with similar actions taking place in Germany, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. These different campaigns share similar tactics, but focus on demands that are specific to their national context. Several of them do however focus on the issue of the energy consumption of buildings.[2]

Renovate Switzerland
TypeAdvocacy group
PurposeClimate change mitigation and energy transition
Region
Switzerland
Websiterenovate-switzerland.ch

Renovate Switzerland had initially sent a letter exposing their demands to the President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga, however the response they received fell short of their expectations.[3] After four roadblocks in April 2022, the campaign entered a new action phase in October 2022. Co-Author of the UN IPCC report Julia Steinberger participated to a roadblock in Bern on October 11, and glued her hand to the asphalt alongside five other people.[4]

Most of Renovate Switzerland's actions involve roadblocks of major Swiss motorways and roads. While their actions are generally considered illegal, they are supported by some politicians such as Swiss Green Party Léonore Porchet, who views civil disobedience to be legitimate given the urgency of the climate crisis.[5][6] According to a survey commissioned by Renovate Switzerland, 61% of Swiss people believe that the renovation of buildings to save energy should be a key priority of the Federal Council.[7]

Controversies

The logo of Renovate Switzerland is suspected to infringe on the Rivella drink logo trademark, and the company said they are considering legal action. [8][9]

References
  1. "Activistes climatiques – Qui sont les militants qui collent leurs mains au bitume?". 24 heures (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  2. "Une militante de Renovate Switzerland: «Quand je pense à l'avenir, je vois un gros trou noir»". Le Temps (in French). 2022-04-14. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  3. "Renovate Switzerland interpelle Guy Parmelin et Simonetta Sommaruga". Le Temps (in French). 2022-07-01. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  4. "'We Don't Have Much Time Left': Co-Author of UN Climate Report Detained at Climate Protest". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  5. Kučera, Andrea (2022-09-07). "Sabotage so the world doesn't end (Translated from English)". NZZ Magasine.
  6. Biner, David (2022-04-21). "Do we need roadblocks because of poorly insulated houses? The Greens paved the way for quirky guerrilla groups (Translated from German )". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  7. "La rénovation énergétique des bâtiments serait une priorité pour près de deux tiers des Suisses". Le Temps (in French). 2022-10-21. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  8. "Genève: La police a décollé les activistes du pont du Mont-Blanc". Le Matin (in French). 2022-04-14. ISSN 1018-3736. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  9. "Streit um Logo: Rivella prüft Klage gegen Renovate". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-04.
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