Insight into the climate strategy of the Canton of Lucerne
The Canton of Lucerne is pursuing a dual strategy in dealing with the challenges of climate change. It wants to implement measures for both climate protection and adaptation to climate change.
Climate change is a global challenge. The Canton of Lucerne also expects drier summers, more hot days, more heavy precipitation and winters with less snow in the future.
Lucerne pursues a dual strategy
In its climate policy, the Canton of Lucerne aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the canton to net zero by 2050, in line with the objectives of the federal government and the Paris Climate Agreement. Net zero means that although greenhouse gas emissions will continue to be produced in certain areas, they will be removed from the atmosphere to at least the same extent.
Since the effects of climate change will continue to increase in the coming years – even with climate protection measures – the Canton of Lucerne intends to implement additional measures to adapt to climate change.
The Lucerne cantonal government has set out this dual strategy and corresponding measures in its planning report “Climate and Energy Policy 2021 of the Canton of Lucerne”. in 2022, in its “Measures and Implementation Planning for Climate and Energy 2022-2026”, it showed specifically how which measures are to be implemented in the coming years.
Measures from spatial development to education
An overview of measures shows a total of 134 measures for climate protection and adaptation in various areas such as spatial development, buildings, mobility and transport, dealing with natural hazards, energy, waste disposal and recycling, water management, forestry, agriculture, health, industry and education.
As concrete measures for climate protection, the Canton of Lucerne wants, for example, to adapt energy regulations for new buildings, promote environmentally friendly building materials, launch programmes for the efficient use of resources in agriculture or examine innovative approaches to waste avoidance in trade and industry.
In order to adapt to climate change, the Canton of Lucerne is planning spatial planning measures for flood protection, raising the awareness of vulnerable population groups in the event of heat waves, promoting reforestation or legal foundations for climate-adapted settlement development.
All measures are described in detail in the measures and implementation planning of the Canton of Lucerne.