Nachhaltige Entwicklung, Umweltschutz und ökonomische Instrumente: Umsetzung in der Schweiz

Environmental policy is an important spearhead of sustainable development. The more economic instruments can be incorporated into environmental protection policy, the more it will contribute to integration of industry within the environment and thus to sustainable development. In the past, Swiss environmental policy was primarily based on restrictions and prohibitions. In the last few years, intensive efforts have been made to reorient environmental policy. Here, economic instruments (incentive taxes, environmental management systems, agreements, cooperation, etc.) are playing an increasingly important role. Examples are the revision of the Federal Law relating to the Protection of the Environment and the message on a C02 law. The report entitled "Sustainable Development in Switzerland, Strategy", approved by the Federal Council in 1997, contains eight fields of action. The principal field of action concerns the ecological tax reform. This involves creation within financial and tax policies of positive incentives for promoting employment and for achieving energetic and environmental objectives.