Die Kompensationspflicht für Treibstoffimporteure: eine zentrale Massnahme der Schweizer Klimapolitik

Obligation to compensate for fossil fuel importers: a central measure of Swiss climate policy The Federal Act on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions (CO2 Act; CC 641.71) requires fossil fuel producers and importers as well as operators of fossil fuel power plants to use domestic measures to compensate for a part of their CO2 emissions. As a result, they carry out domestic emission reduction projects or programs to meet this requirement. Demonstrated emission reductions are documented with an attestation or counted directly towards the compliance. Eligible projects or programs include all greenhouse gases listed in Article 1 of the Ordinance on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions (CO2 Ordinance; CC 641.711) or involve biological CO2 sequestration (capture and storage of CO2) in wood products. The CO2 Ordinance sets out the requirements for the respective projects and programs: just like international projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, compensation projects and programs in Switzerland must follow a specific procedure. The critical step in this procedure is to demonstrate that the reductions are additional, i.e. they would not have been achieved without the project/program. The instrument of compensation for fossil fuel importers contributes significantly to achieving national climate targets. The administrative office for compensation operated jointly by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the contact point for project developers, validators and those with compensation obligations.