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Voluntary National Review Switzerland
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3 May 2022
Switzerland’s third Voluntary National Review (VNR) is based on the 2018-2022 Baseline Assessment. It is published on the new website www.SDGital2030.ch and forms an integral part of the Swiss VNR. The VNR was prepared by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in close cooperation with all Ministries and is founded in a whole-of-society approach. It focuses on the progress achieved between 2018 and 2022 and outlines the key challenges Switzerland is facing to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.
Switzerland’s thematic priority areas
By the end of this year, we will be nearly halfway through the 2030 time horizon. In international comparison, Switzerland has been able to move towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development from a comfortable position in 2016 and since. In areas such as education, healthcare, infrastructure and competitiveness it was and is well on its way.
In addition, important measures have been taken to encourage policy coherence for sustainable development and to highlight interdependencies (trade-offs and synergies) between various SDGs and targets. With the aim of supporting consistent policy-making, meeting the need for coordination and interconnection, and improving knowledge-sharing, the Swiss Government established a new organizational structure within the Federal Administration at the end of 2018. Since then, the 2030 Agenda has also been embedded in various strategies and initiatives at national, cantonal and communal level, as well as in the working programs and efforts by other stakeholders.
Nonetheless, Switzerland is not entirely on track to achieve all of the SDGs by 2030, whether in domestic or foreign policy. Much action and coordination is still required, especially in those areas that have been set out in Switzerland’s new 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy (2030 SDS), which has been adopted by the Swiss Government in June 2021. These are 1) sustainable consumption and sustainable production, 2) climate, energy and biodiversity, and 3) equal opportunities and social cohesion.
Ensuring the prosperity and well-being of society while leaving no one behind is at the heart of Switzerland's commitment until 2030. However, it has high per-capita resource consumption relative to the international and European mean, and this must be kept within the capacity limits of the world's ecosystems. Likewise, a transformation towards sustainable food systems is crucial. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut, biodiversity preserved and restored, energy consumption reduced significantly and the use of renewable energies expanded. Switzerland also works to achieve equal opportunities and promote a life of self-determination for all, and has set itself the goal of guaranteeing real equality between women and men.
Digital solution to compiling Switzerland's 2022 VNR
For its 2022 VNR, Switzerland has fully digitized its stock-taking process through the means of a customized digital solution called “SDGital2030”. Representatives from the federal government, from cantons and municipalities as well as numerous stakeholders from the private sector, science and civil society were invited to participate in the 2018-2022 Baseline Assessment, in order to illustrate their contributions to the implementation of the SDGs. By comprehensively digitizing the process, Switzerland aimed to lower the barriers to participation, to bundle the entire stock-taking – from the collection of information to consultation and translation to publication – in one single process, and to create a database that can be maintained and continuously updated until 2030. The full compilation is available on the new website www.SDGital2030.ch.
Relevance of data and statistics
Statistics and relevant data are essential for measuring the progress of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, Switzerland complements its VNR by a statistical annex edited by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Indicators verify the effectiveness of the measures implemented and highlight those areas where particular action is needed. In the sense of condensing the statistical information, the MONET 2030 system of indicators was supplemented with further data. Overall, data enables fact-based decision-making and supports democratic debate.
Achieving the SDGs by 2030
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has not lost its relevance – on the contrary. It remains of significant importance to Switzerland, both nationally and internationally. By engaging the whole of society in its implementation, and by submitting its VNR to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development every four years, Switzerland reaffirms its ambition to contribute to a more sustainable world.
