Switzerland signs Paris climate agreement

The Swiss Environment Minister Doris Leuthard, signed the Paris climate agreement on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York. Switzerland is likely to ratify the agreement by the end of 2017.  “Signing this agreement is more than just a symbolic gesture. We are saying yes to a world that will gradually leave the fossil fuel era behind it,” said Leuthard. She added that Switzerland plans to ratify the Paris Agreement by the end of 2017.  The environment minister called for innovation to create a green economy based on renewable energy, sustainable transport and energy efficiency, and cited the example of the Swiss solar aircraft Solar Impulse as “proof we have technologies and possibilities to make a change”.  “Switzerland has been applying a host of measures for many years now. Thanks to these measures our emissions fell, even with economic growth and even with a rising population,” she said.  Representatives from around 170 countries signed the ...