So I lied–the previous post wasn’t my last one. I’m about to enter my final week in Geneva, and things have changed since I first came here. The first time I passed through Parc Barton was in late August, at an apéro to meet other students. I remember watching the sunset turn the sky pink and orange, the air turning only slightly chillier as the sun dipped behind Mont Blanc. I remember the grass being a deep green that people sprawled themselves upon. I remember walking up to the lake and marveling at how clear the water was. Now in mid-December (can we say that yet?), the swans still cut through the water, clear as ever, and the sunset still fades pink and orange, albeit sooner in the day than in August. Yet there are clear differences from then. The grass is not as dark green, the trees are becoming bare, and the park is a little emptier than it was in the summer. 

Climate change holds deep importance in Switzerland’s national agenda: the nation is among the ten fastest-warming. In 2012, the Federal Council adopted an action plan to make changes across the water, natural hazards, agriculture, forestry, energy, tourism, biodiversity, health, and spatial development sectors. In this year’s elections, the Young Socialists party proposed a federal tax on inheritance greater than 50 million CHF (that’s 62,814,733 USD) to raise money to address the climate crisis, but it did not pass. Switzerland has also committed itself to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 of Climate Action. However, in a country ruled by direct democracy, in which cantons have greater influence over life than the federal government, I looked into what the Geneva canton is doing to address climate change. In 2020, the city of Geneva declared a “climate emergency,” resulting in an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, the city renovated municipal buildings to reduce carbon footprint, strengthened public transportation, increased the number of shaded outdoor spaces, made efforts to restore urban soils, and promoted sustainable investments in the finance sector, among other things. I appreciate recognizing that this is a “climate emergency.” I find that in the United States, we try to neutralize our language when discussing climate change, which results in us not putting any serious thought or effort into addressing the issue, as our language labels it more as a concern than a crisis. I also like how this plan considers many aspects of the city, from the various sectors that affect the climate to strengthening people’s connection with nature in a time when it is crumbling.