A new law dedicated to sustainable development. The Neuchâtel Council of State presented its strategy on Friday afternoon to meet the expectations set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda over the next ten years. The government intends to submit to the Grand Council a draft Law on public action for sustainable development. It aims for entry into force for 2025. The document should make it possible to “strengthen the culture of sustainability within the administration”, indicates Ana Gonseth, delegate for sustainable development and climate.
The government has defined eight areas of action including consumption and production, energy and climate, and social cohesion and equality. The administration, but also the state’s partners and the population of Neuchâtel are invited to integrate these objectives.
For State Councilor Laurent Favre, having a clear legislative framework will “ensure good monitoring of our policies towards ever more sustainable development”.
Instruments already in place
In its report, the State of Neuchâtel lists some examples of instruments to promote sustainable development. The government plans to quadruple the use of renewable energies and is focusing in particular on the sanitation of public buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Through the climate plan, we were able to bring in support,” explains Ana Gonseth.
On the economic front, the government intends to promote innovation, as well as continuing training for adults to increase professional integration. To ensure prosperity, we must also further improve the attractiveness of the canton, according to Laurent Favre.
In the social field, State Councilor Florence Nater evokes the need to work on equal opportunities, on training or on the financial autonomy of citizens. This involves in particular the inclusion of people living with disabilities and better equality between men and women, for example.
To finance these various elements, the government relies on the ordinary budgets of the services, but also on credits granted on a case-by-case basis. A reserve dedicated to sustainable development and endowed with 20 million francs also appears in the 2025 budget and can be requested at 50% for various projects, indicated State Councilor Laurent Favre.
Communicate to involve society as a whole
To mobilize the whole of society and make its objectives known, the Council of State relies on communication. A cantonal sustainable development day will be organized every two years and a prize aimed at rewarding a particularly significant achievement will be set up.
The effectiveness of the measures will also be gauged by various indicators. For Ana Gonseth, “everyone in their daily life can work for more sustainability”. /sbm
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