Reached their destination after 36 days

On Saturday morning, the "Tour de Climat" participants ended their tour at the mailbox of Zug's Finance Director Heinz Tännler. All for the purpose of climate protection.

While the climate activists cycled through the most beautiful areas of Switzerland in the last 36 days, they visited all the cantons and their main towns. As Campax writes in a statement, they wanted to draw attention to their demands with the help of the "Tour de Climat": the Swiss National Bank (SNB) should work towards the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

So far, the SNB has resisted making its contribution to achieving Switzerland's climate targets, the press release continues. For example, the SNB significantly fuels the climate catastrophe with its investments in fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels include natural gas, oil and coal. When these fuels are burned, heat is released to generate electricity, but this also releases the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO_2). This in turn has an impact on the climate. 

The current SNB portfolio will promote global warming of four to 6 degrees Celsius by the year 2100, which is incompatible with the signed Paris Climate Agreement.

The climate activists in front of the government building in Zug.
Post for Swiss Finance Directorate: the letter is handed over to Zug's Finance Director.
Photos: PD
 

Wherever possible, the participants in the "Tour de Climat" visited chief financial officers of the cantons and handed them a letter to the SNB. This includes the call to phase out fossil fuels. As shareholders, the finance directors can make the SNB more accountable, as it currently violates its investment guidelines. It should not invest in companies that "systematically cause serious environmental damage or massively violate fundamental human rights," Campax continues.

The last stop on Saturday was at the Zug Government Building, where one of these letters was deposited for Zug's finance director, Heinz Tännler. As head of the Finance Directorate of the Canton of Zug, he is jointly responsible for the SNB and could thereby persuade it to become more climate friendly. Nicole Haiderer, a campaigner of Campax, says:

"Mr. Tännler could, for example, write a letter to Mr. Jordan, submit an application to the next AGM or refuse to discharge the Bank Council. Whatever it takes to prevent all of our money from further fuelling the climate crisis."

The last stage of the "Tour de Climat" was 30 kilometres long, and started at the Zug Youth Hostel and ended with an aperitif in the Climate Pavilion in Zurich.