The emotional side of climate science Climate change not only has visible effects on ecosystems. It also has an emotional and psychological impact on those who study it.

“Discouragement and sadness prevail when I consider what has been done politically,” says Sonia Seneviratne, climatologist at @ethz.ch. @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social @retoknutti.bsky.social

The effects of 1.5°C global warming in Switzerland and beyond The goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is out of reach. What are the consequences for life on Earth?

The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels will not be achieved. We outline the possible consequences of crossing this threshold for life on Earth and in Switzerland, a country already heavily affected by rising temperatures. @wmo-global.bsky.social

Swissinfo named second-best online media source in Switzerland The Yearbook of Media Quality 2025 has once again given Swissinfo a good rating in its media quality analysis.

www.swissinfo.ch/eng/inside-s...

Climate experts in Switzerland: 1.5 degree target is out of reach Ten years after the Paris Agreement, a survey of Swiss climate scientists shows they no longer expect the world to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, a survey of climate scientists in Switzerland shows they no longer expect the world to limit warming to 1.5°C. On average, they expect warming of 2.5°C by 2100. @ethz.ch @unibe.ch @unil.bsky.social

Will the sun still shine on renewable energy tomorrow? The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change boosted renewable energy in Switzerland and around the world.

“The decade following the Paris Agreement in 2015 saw an unprecedented acceleration in wind and solar generation growth like no other electricity technology has seen before,” Kostantsa Rangelova, an analyst at @ember-energy.org.

Central Asian glaciers resisted climate change. That may be ending. The glaciers of the Pamirs in Central Asia were among the few in the world that remained stable – or even grew – as others melted. According to a study, this anomaly may have come to an end.

The glaciers of the Pamirs in Central Asia were among the few in the world that remained stable – or even grew – as others melted. According to a study, this anomaly may have come to an end. @vaw-glaciology.bsky.social

www.agroscope.admin.ch/agroscope/en...

www.agroscope.admin.ch/agroscope/en...

Rewetted organic soils emitted fewer greenhouse gases than drained fields. The reduction in CO₂ emissions outweighed the increase in methane emissions. Whether these results can be applied to the climate impact of entire rice fields in Switzerland is currently being investigated.

True. Rice growth is responsible for around 15% of global methane emissions. But measurements in an experimental facility in Switzerland suggest a positive climate balance for Swiss rice.

Sushi rice instead of potatoes? Swiss agriculture adapts to climate change Farmers are adapting to rising temperatures. In Switzerland they are experimenting with new crops that can withstand heat and drought

Farmers around the world are adapting to rising temperatures. In Switzerland they are experimenting with new crops that can withstand heat and drought. @sustainablefarming.bsky.social @fao.org

[2/2] This year’s melt was driven by a snow-poor winter and summer heatwaves. Glaciers below 3k m lost over 2 m of ice. Shrinking glaciers also destabilize mountains, as seen in May, when a rock–ice avalanche buried Blatten in the Lötschental.

🔗 to #GLAMOS report: doi.glamos.ch/pubs/annualr...

[1/2] 📢 GLAMOS @scnat.ch press release out today: Swiss glaciers lost another 3% of their volume in 2025, the 4th-largest decline ever measured. In just 10 years, they’ve lost a quarter of their ice mass. Over 1k small glaciers have already vanished.

🔗 to press release: scnat.ch/en/uuid/i/9d...

Alpine glaciers are melting even on the highest peaks Swiss glaciers have lost a quarter of their volume in 10 years. Climate change is accelerating melting even at high altitudes

“This year turned out to be a little less extreme than we feared", says Matthias Huss, director of GLAMOS. “However, what worries me is that we’re getting used to these very negative years. It’s a new normal, but one that shouldn’t be there.” @matthias-huss.bsky.social @vaw-glaciology.bsky.social

Green promises: the two faces of the Swiss cement giant Holcim On the very day Holcim is fighting against a climate lawsuit in a court in Zug, the Swiss cement company is promoting its Net Zero plans at a congress just a few kilometres down the road.

Holcim holds the first line of defence for all companies worldwide whose business harm the climate.

‘We are at the start of a new climate regime’ Climate scientist Sonia Seneviratne says solutions to the climate crisis exist if we’re prepared to change our habits.

Sonia Seneviratne is among the world’s most influential climate specialists.

@duycks.bsky.social

Climate crisis: Indonesian islanders sue Swiss company Holcim Inhabitants of Indonesia's Pulau Pari island accuse Swiss cement giant Holcim of contributing to the climate crisis that threatens their existence.

Residents of Pulau Pari, a small island in Indonesia, accuse Swiss cement giant Holcim of contributing to the climate crisis that threatens their existence. ‪@ecchr.bsky.social‬ @sabincenter.bsky.social‬

Climate crisis: Indonesian islanders sue Swiss company Holcim Inhabitants of Indonesia's Pulau Pari island accuse Swiss cement giant Holcim of contributing to the climate crisis that threatens their existence.

Residents of Pulau Pari, a small island in Indonesia, accuse Swiss cement giant Holcim of contributing to the climate crisis that threatens their existence. ‪@ecchr.bsky.social‬ @sabincenter.bsky.social‬

The Swiss and their gold Vrenelis, an enduring love affair The minting of a new coin generated enormous interest but turned into an online fiasco.

In Switzerland, it’s worth taking extra care when moving house or clearing out a flat: it’s not uncommon to find a Vreneli hidden away in a drawer, a bag or even in the lining of an old coat.

Was the worst Swiss disaster an ‘unforeseeable event’? Sixty years after the Mattmark tragedy, the survivors’ memories persist. So do the shadows of a trial in which all of the accused were acquitted, amid political and economic pressure.

The worst disaster in Swiss history, in which 88 people perished after two million cubic metres of ice and debris plunged onto a dam construction site, was dismissed as an “unforeseeable event”. Sixty years after the Mattmark tragedy, the survivors’ memories persist.

Is Switzerland’s natural disaster insurance a model for the world? The Swiss approach to natural hazard insurance could inspire other countries dealing with increasingly frequent floods and disasters.

Twenty years after the “flood of the century”, the Swiss approach to hazard insurance, based on solidarity, could inspire other countries dealing with increasingly frequent disasters.

Fibre optics detect the invisible waves that melt Greenland’s ice sheet The breaking off of large chunks of ice from glaciers accelerates the melting of the Arctic ice sheet in Greenland. This has been measured for the first time by a research team using fibre optics.

“We now better understand what happens when ice falls into the sea: it not only breaks off, but also increases melting below the water’s surface,” says Andreas Vieli, professor of glaciology at ‪@ethz.ch‬ @vaw-glaciology.bsky.social‬

Figure from the report of the geographical distribution of selected notable climate anomalies and events in 2024 around the world. This graphic is from NOAA.

The @ametsoc.org State of the Climate Report for 2024 is now published: doi.org/10.1175/2025...

I am happy to have contributed again to this year's issue - see our section in 'The Arctic' chapter: doi.org/10.1175/BAMS...

Another historic year for Earth's climate... 🚨

Luxury or necessity? Five questions about air conditioning in Switzerland and around the world The boom in home air conditioners in Switzerland and around the world has an impact on climate and electricity consumption.

World electricity consumption for air conditioning will triple by 2050, the ‪@iea.org‬ predicts. In the future, air conditioners worldwide will use as much electricity as China consumed in all of 2018.

How pharma became Switzerland’s Achilles heel in US trade talks The pharmaceutical industry’s strength has made it a key vulnerability for Switzerland in trade talks with the US.

The pharmaceutical industry is a major driver of the Swiss economy, but its strength has also made it a key vulnerability for Switzerland in trade talks with the US.

Swiss pharma reckons with its past, present and future - swissinfo.ch This is the story of how making drugs helped turn a small, mountainous country into an industry titan, and what the pandemic means for its future.

The Swiss pharmaceutical sector is in Trump’s crosshairs. Here’s the story of one of the industries that has contributed to Switzerland’s prosperity.

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists Switzerland has declined to launch initiatives to entice US scientists, while Europe has opened its doors. What's next for Swiss research?

As the United States cuts funding for science and threatens universities, many researchers are looking to relocate, and Europe is rolling out the red carpet. Switzerland, however, is not trying to woo them.

80 years on: Hiroshima, Geneva and the global struggle to ban the bomb 80 years after Hiroshima, global nuclear spending is surging. A survivor speaks out, reminding the world what’s still at stake.

“The risk of use of nuclear weapons is higher now than it has ever been,” says Melissa Parke, executive director of ICAN, a Geneva-based organisation that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its role in advancing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

On the trail with two Swiss monster hunters What do an orphan from Lucerne and a geologist from Western Switzerland have in common? A fascination with mysterious creatures – and the field of cryptozoology.

What do an orphan from Lucerne and a geologist from Western Switzerland have in common? A fascination with mysterious creatures.