Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Biodiversity damaging subsidies in Switzerland
SWISS ACADEMIES FACTSHEETS, VOL. 15. NO. 7, 2020
The Confederation, the cantons and the municipalities have for many years financed measures to promote biodiversity in Switzerland. Despite this, biodiversity is in a critical state. One major reason for this is the large number of public subsidies and perverse financial incentives which promote activities that can cause severe damage to biodiversity.
The Federal Council's Swiss Biodiversity Strategy aims to identify the negative effects of such measures and to abolish, gradually dismantle or redesign the harmful subsidies. The study presented here identifies 162 subsidies harmful to biodiversity and makes recommendations on how they can be abolished or reconfigured.
Gubler L, Ismail SA, Seidl I (2020) Biodiversity damaging subsidies in Switzerland Swiss Academies Factsheet 15 (7).
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
STEM 2026: Where Switzerland stands today
Twelve years on from the first STEM Youth Barometer, the new 2026 edition reveals that interest in STEM has remained largely stable, stereotypes persist, and women underestimate their own abilities. At the same time, the findings are more nuanced than expected and point to clear areas for improvement.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Beyond the transaction: commodity trade and sustainable development
This factsheet maps the sustainability links of commodity trade, identifies knowledge gaps, and outlines options for commodity hubs, including Switzerland, to reduce economic, environmental and social sustainability risks.
Swiss Young Academy SYA
Impact of AI on Early Career Researchers: Challenges, Opportunities and Responsibilities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming science and is therefore profoundly reshaping the work of Early Career Researchers. Against this backdrop, the publication Impact of AI on Early Career Researchers: Challenges, Opportunities, and Responsibilities, developed by members of the Swiss Young Academy, namely Emmanuel Senft, Sabrina H. Kessler, Pamela Delgado, Devi Bühler, and Alexandre Bovet, offers a timely interdisciplinary reflection on these changes. The booklet examines both the opportunities and risks of AI across five key areas – research, teaching, science communication, policymaking, and sustainability – while also addressing critical issues such as research integrity, data privacy, misinformation, governance, and environmental impact. It further highlights the responsibilities of Early Career Researchers and higher education institutions in promoting AI literacy, transparency, ethical standards, and responsible use of AI in science.