The escalating climate and environmental crisis is spiralling out of control.
The ‘Swiss Emergency Briefing’ is a new nationwide initiative adapted from the UK’s ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’. It provides an unfiltered, science-based assessment by leading independent experts of escalating climate- and nature-related risks to food supplies, health, infrastructure, energy, economic security and the cohesion of human society. It highlights realistic, practical solutions to the crisis.
Background
Given the existential threat and the stakes involved, Swiss policymakers should have declared a climate emergency and informed the public long ago. Unfortunately, this has not happened so far. As long as this remains the case, the ‘Swiss Emergency Briefing’ will now take it upon itself to fulfil the role of informing the public and raising the pressure on politics.
Plan
In a first phase (until Spring 2027, preferably at Climate Week Zurich), the existing 50-minute film from the UK will be screened at as many venues as possible across the country and adapted to the Swiss context. The screenings are followed by guided discussions among the public, in which people can express their emotions and talk about what they think needs to happen next. This phase will come to an end in spring 2027, when – following the example of the British project – the ‚Swiss Emergency Briefing‘ will take place and be documented by a film crew, preferably at Climate Week Zurich. The ‚Swiss Emergency Film‘ will then replace the British film from autumn 2027 onwards. In addition to the general public, politicians and media representatives will be specifically invited to the screenings.
Demand
The initiative calls for the immediate declaration of a national climate emergency and the broadcast of an emergency briefing at prime time across all media channels, above all on Swiss Radio & Television.
Objective
The initiative’s objective is to create a social tipping point. Through a shared, evidence-based understanding of the dangers and solutions, social and political action is to be significantly accelerated, and urgently necessary capital redirected towards mitigation, resilience and adaptation solutions.