Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Reverse emissions or influence solar radiation: Is “geoengineering” worthwhile, feasible and if so, at what price?
SWISS ACADEMIES FACTSHEETS, VOL. 13. NO. 4, 2018
The aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, if possible even 1.5 degrees Celsius. Various scenarios show that very great efforts are necessary to achieve these goals through emission reduction measures alone. This motivates the search for additional solutions. Technical interventions in the climate system, often referred to by collective terms such as “geoengineering” or “climate intervention”, are therefore discussed. However, most of these measures are associated with costs, risks and undesirable side effects that have so far been very difficult to assess. While some measures only exist in theory, others have been tested in small format, but nevertheless there is a lack of knowledge about the effects of an application on the required large scale. Since the measures would not have the same effects in different parts of the world, ethical questions of global and regional justice are also particularly important and should be covered by international regulations.
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences (2018) Reverse emissions or influence solar radiation: Is “geoengineering” worthwhile, feasible and if so, at what price? Swiss Academies Factsheets 13 (4).
European Academies Science Advisory Council EASAC
Security of sustainable energy supplies
Growing geopolitical tensions combined with high dependencies on imported fuels, mainly oil and gas, increasingly threaten Europe’s energy security. A well-managed transition to sustainable domestic energy and innovative technologies made in Europe can offer a secure and prosperous future. Written by 27 scientists from across Europe, this new academy report aims to support European decision-makers with facts, analyses and recommendations for action.
The weaponising of energy by autocratic regimes through trade disruptions, attacks on infrastructure, and growing numbers of cyber-attacks increase both the risk of interruptions to Europe’s energy supplies and also energy prices. High and volatile energy prices reduce investor confidence, jeopardise the competitiveness of European industries, and drive millions of households into energy poverty.
Since Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, the EU has done a lot to reduce Russian energy supplies by diversifying its gas supplies and increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, it is particularly important not to shift import dependence from Russian gas to import dependence on LNG from another third country, such as the USA, with all the associated risks.
On behalf of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, Russell McKenna (ETH Zurich) contributed to this European Academy report.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Swiss Glaciers. State, projections and significance
The Swiss Alps are characterised by glaciers. Their retreat influences the landscape and tourism, harbours natural hazards, lowers the volume of water available in summer and even has an impact on the ocean. The extent to which the Alpine glaciers are retreating and whether they will eventually disappear depends on climate change and, consequently, global climate protection. The factsheet outlines the level of knowledge concerning glacial melting and its impact on society and, additionally, illustrates available options and courses of action.
Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences SAHS
All-day childcare and schooling
This report analyses the attitudes of parents in Switzerland regarding all-day childcare, based on data collected from an online panel of 2,161 parents. Providing high-quality childcare is essential for child development, equal educational opportunities, and increasing female participation in the workforce, all of which contribute to Switzerland’s economic sustainability. The analyses presented in this report are based on primary data covering various aspects of general parental attitudes towards all-day schooling, contrasted with specific views on the own family. They differentiated between German- and French-speaking parents to shed more light on potential regional differences.
Duchêne, Cédric, Marieke Heers and Laura Bernardi (2025): All-day childcare and schooling. A survey of parental attitudes in Switzerland, ed. by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (Swiss Academies Reports 20,1).