Detachment from the climate issue is growing among the Swiss population, even as protests for stronger climate action continue, such as this rally in Bern on September 23, 2022.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Despite being one of the world’s fastest-warming countries, Switzerland is seeing a rise in climate disengagement and fatalism, according to a new international survey.
This content was published on
May 12, 2026 – 09:00
“The 2026 findings point to a psychological turning point for Switzerland,” according to Marcus Burke, a Swiss-based analyst at Ipsos, one of the world’s leading market research and opinion polling firms. Although the country is physically more vulnerable to global warming than many others, there is “a marked decline in the perceived sense of urgency and a worrying rise in climate fatalism”.
Ipsos analysed public perceptions of the risks associated with climate change and attitudes towards the energy transition. The surveyExternal link, which was published on April 21, involved 23,704 people in 31 countries around the world (interviewed in person and online between January 23 and February 6, 2026), including 500 in Switzerland. Ipsos considers the survey to be representative of the 16 to 74 age group.
The results show that Swiss citizens are becoming increasingly disengaged from climate issues, both in general and when compared with European and global averages. Although the effects of climate change are ever more tangible, the sense of individual responsibility in Switzerland is on the wane, Burke told Swissinfo.
“A growing proportion of the population believes it is now too late to act, an attitude that sets Switzerland apart from its neighbours,” he said.
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Climate action ‘not up to me’
In all the countries surveyed, Ipsos notes, there has been a drop in the percentage of people who believe that individual inaction on climate change constitutes a failure towards future generations: from 72% in 2021 to 61% today. In other words, proportionally fewer people feel a moral duty to leave behind a planet with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The figure for Switzerland stands at 50%, representing a marked 14% decline compared to 2021. This figure is significantly lower than in the neighbouring countries, such as France (63%) and Italy (62%).
Burke is not surprised by the growing lack of interest in climate issues in Switzerland, as it reflects a broader global trend. “Despite the string of new temperature records, people’s willingness to take action against climate change is dwindling,” he said.
The past 11 years have been the warmest in the modern eraExternal link. The global average temperature could soon exceed the critical warming threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The Ipsos report shows that, while the view that individuals, too, must do their bit remains widespread, the sense of urgency and individual responsibility is decreasing. At the same time, there is a growing tendency to think that governments and businesses should be the main drivers of climate action.
Energy prices a greater concern
Burke speaks of “collective exhaustion”, that is, a widespread sense of weariness fuelled by the perception of a complex and seemingly endless climate crisis.
According to the analyst, other, more immediate and tangible concerns are overshadowing the issue of climate change. “People are more worried about inflation, the rising cost of living and geopolitical conflicts. They’re wondering how much petrol will cost and what the consequences of the war in Iran will be.”
On average, 74% of respondents across the 31 countries say they are concerned about rising energy costs. For around half of the sample, the priority is keeping prices down, even if this means an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
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Strong trust in Swiss climate strategy
Compared to respondents in France, Germany and Italy, the Swiss public appears more detached and less concerned about climate change, Burke explained. The reason is “a combination of greater fatalism and, paradoxically, greater confidence in the strategy adopted by their government”.
Specifically, the proportion of the Swiss population who say it is “too late to do anything” about climate change (29%) is higher than in neighbouring countries. The view that individual actions “make no difference” is also more widespread.
Alongside this sense of powerlessness, according to Burke, there is an unusually high level of trust that the Swiss government “has a clear plan” to tackle the climate crisis (32%). Confidence in the authorities is lower in Italy (24%), France (21%) and Germany (19%).
“This combination – the belief that individual efforts are futile and confidence that the authorities have the situation under control – probably helps reduce the sense of personal urgency and public pressure for more ambitious climate policies,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether this emotional detachment is temporary, or whether it reflects a more lasting shift in the Swiss public’s attitude towards the climate crisis.
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What role should Switzerland play in the climate crisis?
To some groups, Switzerland is too small to make a big difference in addressing the climate crisis. For others, the country is too rich to do nothing.
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Edited by Balz Rigendinger. Adapted from Italian by Julia Bassam/ds
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