Executive Summary

Switzerland has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 to 40.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents – a decrease of 27.3 percent compared to 1990. Compared to 2023, emissions fell by approximately 0.5 million tonnes. The Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) publishes the annual inventory to fulfill obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. Including land use balance, emissions are 22.3 percent below 1990 levels. For the first time, negative emissions from industry are recorded – in 2024 their scope amounted to 705 tonnes of CO₂. BAFU will submit the inventory to the UN Climate Secretariat (UNFCCC) in mid-April 2026.

Persons

  • Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) (Swiss Authority)

Topics

  • Climate policy and emission reduction
  • Greenhouse gas inventory and climate reporting
  • Sectoral emission development
  • Paris Climate Agreement

Clarus Lead

The reduction documents progress in heat pump technology and biofuels, yet the transport sector remains the largest emitter at 33.5 percent. Particularly relevant for climate policymakers is the introduction of negative emissions accounting: it signals that Switzerland is concretizing its long-term net-zero strategy by 2050. The land use balance, however, shows risks – the sector is increasingly becoming an emissions source rather than a sink, an effect of climate change itself. These data form the basis for the next adjustment of the national climate strategy.

Detailed Summary

The building sector achieved the strongest successes with a reduction of 47 percent since 1990. The increase in heat pump installations in recent years is the main driver of this decline; in 2024, emissions were 8.8 million tonnes CO₂-eq, a decrease of 0.2 million tonnes compared to 2023. The sector currently contributes 22 percent to total emissions.

The industrial sector emitted 8.9 million tonnes CO₂-eq (33 percent below 1990 levels). A slight decline in cement production contributed to the reduction. Newly recorded are negative emissions: 705 tonnes of CO₂ were captured in 2024 at biogas plants and permanently stored in recycling concrete – a measure linked to the Federal Council's long-term climate strategy for achieving climate targets. The industrial sector accounts for 22.3 percent of total emissions.

The transport sector remains dominant with 13.4 million tonnes CO₂-eq (nearly 10 percent below 1990). The slight decrease compared to 2023 is primarily attributable to increased biofuel use. With a 33.5 percent share of total emissions, this sector has the greatest reduction potential. Agriculture and other sectors (synthetic gases, waste management) emitted a combined 8.9 million tonnes CO₂-eq, 13 percent below 1990 levels; compared to 2023, these emissions remained nearly constant.

Under the Paris Agreement, Switzerland must also report the greenhouse gas balance of land use. This has increasingly developed into an emissions source – an effect of ongoing climate change. Together with this balance, Switzerland achieves a reduction of 22.3 percent since 1990. International aviation and maritime transport are reported separately at 5.5 million tonnes CO₂-eq and are not counted towards the 2030 target, but will be included in the net-zero target for 2050.

Key Findings

  • Switzerland has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 27.3 percent since 1990; in 2024 they were 40.1 million tonnes CO₂-eq.
  • Heat pumps and biofuels are the main drivers of reduction in the building and transport sectors.
  • For the first time, negative emissions from industry are recorded (705 tonnes CO₂ through biogas plants and recycling concrete).
  • Land use is developing into an emissions source due to climate change; including this balance, the reduction is 22.3 percent.
  • Transport sector remains the greatest reduction potential at 33.5 percent share.

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality: How is the accuracy of negative emissions accounting (705 tonnes CO₂) verified, and what uncertainty margins are associated with this new recording method?

  2. Methodological Consistency: Why is international aviation and maritime transport (5.5 million tonnes) excluded from the 2030 target but included in the 2050 target – what political or scientific reasons justify this asymmetry?

  3. Land Use Causality: To what extent can Switzerland influence the reversal of land use from sink to source through national measures if this is primarily climate-driven?

  4. Sectoral Trade-offs: The transport sector stagnates at 33.5 percent share – are current biofuel measures sufficient, or are structural changes (modal shift) required?

  5. Methane Metrics: The GWP100 method underestimates short-term methane impact – does Switzerland plan to additionally publish scenarios with shorter time horizons (e.g., GWP20)?

  6. Industry Negative Emissions Scalability: Can the 705 tonnes of CO₂ negative emissions be significantly expanded in the coming years, or are these pilot projects without scaling potential?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2024: Emissions Slightly Decreased – news.admin.ch, 13.04.2026

Supplementary Sources:

  1. BAFU: Greenhouse Gas Inventory
  2. BAFU: Greenhouse Gas Balance of Land Use
  3. BAFU: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation
  4. BAFU: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture

Verification Status: ✓ 13.04.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 13.04.2026