Swiss voters reject biodiversity bill, blow to conservationists | Switzerland

Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to force authorities to take more measures to protect natural habitats from pollution and development, preliminary results of a referendum show.

The biodiversity initiative, which the Swiss government and parliament had already rejected, envisaged changing the law to set aside more land for conservation beyond areas already protected.

The initiative has been closely watched by environmentalists abroad, as concerns about global biodiversity loss grow. The proposal also aims to strengthen protections for threatened ecosystems in a country known for its lakes and snow-capped mountains.

In one of Switzerland’s traditional exercises in direct democracy, more than 60 percent of voters rejected the bill, according to a forecast result published by national broadcaster SRF. By mid-afternoon, the initiative had been rejected by too many cantons to pass, according to an official tally.

The Swiss Green party expressed disappointment at the results and said more efforts needed to be made to protect the environment, warning that a third of all species and half of all habitats in Switzerland were under threat.

“This problem will persist regardless of the outcome of the vote,” he said in a statement.

Opponents, including the country’s main agricultural lobby, say the initiative is too extreme and poses risks to business development. Swiss law already takes conservation needs into account, they say.

Initial support for the biodiversity project in opinion polls has given way in recent weeks to greater scepticism as opponents have mobilised arguments against it.

In April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland was not doing enough to curb the consequences of climate change. The Swiss government denies this claim.