The Federal Office of Energy in Switzerland has issued a new call for proposals, requesting organizations to submit innovative solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions. This initiative will focus on both point sources, like industrial plants, and atmospheric CO2 through different capture, utilization, and storage technologies as reported by Carbon Herald. The SFOE is looking for proposals that bring together different sectors, combining multiple point sources or energy domains to create greater impact.
According to Carbon Herald, despite international efforts, the projections indicate that Switzerland will still emit around 12 to 14 million tons of CO2-eq per year by 2050. This is the majority of Switzerland’s emissions. By tackling these hurdles, the nation intends to achieve its goal of being net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Focus on Hard-to-Abate Sectors
The call for proposals will focus on the hardest-to-decarbonize emissions. Some sectors that are considered difficult to decarbonize include cement, aviation, agriculture, and waste incineration. This is because these sectors are the main contributors to emissions. Despite the technological developments and innovations regarding carbon capture and storage, emissions from these industries remain massive.
Switzerland’s initiative aims to find scalable solutions to capture persistent emissions, helping the country meet its broader climate goals. Switzerland aims to boost carbon management by 2030, targeting the capture and storage of 500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Also read: Switzerland witnesses increase in pension funds decarbonizing portfolios
Path to 2050: Switzerland’s Net-Zero Vision
This funding initiative supports Switzerland’s 2022 strategy, which stresses increasing carbon capture capacity in the coming years. With an emissions gap up to 2050, the Swiss government would accelerate research, development, and deployment of carbon management technologies. This is according to the roadmap presented by the authors, where it will be led by carbon capture and storage technologies in achieving a net-zero mid-century.
Submission of pre-proposals will be open till 25 April 2025. Successful applicants will have up to October 31, 2025, to submit full proposals after initial evaluation. Final funding decisions will be made on December 19, 2025.
Switzerland’s new call for carbon capture proposals highlights its commitment to reducing tough emissions and achieving net-zero goals.
