MONET 2030: Greenhouse gas footprint intensity

SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Goal description

«Technological progress is the foundation of efforts to achieve environmental objectives, such as increased resource and energy-efficiency. Without technology and innovation, industrialization will not happen, and without industrialization, development will not happen. […].»

Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the carbon footprint in relation to domestic final demand of goods and services. It shows the quantity of greenhouse gases generated by the resident population's consumption on Swiss territory, regardless of whether these gases were emitted in Switzerland or abroad, by CHF spent. In the interests of sustainable development, this amount must be reduced because prosperity must be maintained or increased while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that it generates, in Switzerland or abroad.

International comparability
It is not possible to measure import and export-related emissions directly so this has to be done using models. Several modelling methods exist, limiting international comparisons.

Synthesis

The indicator shows the greenhouse gas footprint in relation to domestic final demand of goods and services.

The greenhouse gas footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted in Switzerland and abroad to meet domestic final demand of goods and services. It corresponds to all direct household emissions, emissions related to the production of goods and services for Swiss final demand and emissions generated abroad to produce goods and services that are imported to satisfy Swiss final demand. Emissions related to the production of exported goods and services, and therefore aimed at satisfying the final demand of other countries, are not included.

The greenhouse gas footprint is a measurement that has to be modelled. The results presented here are based on the air emissions accounts, the input-output tables (IOT) from the national accounts and a weighting of the import related-emissions. This weighting takes into account the CO₂ intensity of the place of origin of Swiss imports. The greenhouse gas intensity of exports from the EU are weighted across the whole economy with a ratio of total CO₂ emissions to the gross national product (GDP) for each economic region.

The greenhouse gases taken into accounts are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and synthetic gases (HFC, PFC, SF₆, NF₃) in CO₂ equivalents.

12a Ecologically acceptable production
Environmental impact and risks emanating from production plants should be minimised, while energy and material flows should be optimised.

12b Ecologically and socially acceptable consumption
Consumption of goods and services should be as environmentally compatible and socially equitable as possible.

17a Limits for degradable waste and toxins
Pollution of the environment with degradable waste and pollutants should be minimised. Contamination should not exceed the absorption capacity of the ecosystem.

18c Caution in the case of uncertainty
Severe or irreversible environmental damage should be prevented, even in the absence of absolute scientific certainty of the actual risk. This also means that preventive measures should be taken against climate change and its impact.