Study finds Switzerland net-zero plan shifts environmental burdens abroad

A study in Communications Earth & Environment found that Switzerland's net-zero domestic energy system displaces significant environmental and social burdens to resource-extraction regions in the Global South. The findings underscore why Indian companies and regulators should weight full life cycle assessment and responsible sourcing rather than domestic emissions alone.

Published in Communications Earth & Environment, the research shows that even when a nation reaches net-zero domestic greenhouse gas emissions, significant environmental burdens persist beyond its borders through imports and energy infrastructure. Switzerland's green transition increases demand for metals and minerals, shifting impacts such as high water scarcity, mining, transport activity, and poor labour conditions to other countries, causing land degradation, biodiversity loss, and social disruption in extraction regions, the authors conclude from a full life cycle assessment.

Resource-extraction regions in the Global South bear the displaced burdens, while companies sourcing metals and minerals for clean-energy supply chains carry the embedded environmental and social risk. Mining activities and global supply chains may increase particulate matter emissions. Focusing solely on domestic emissions reductions can mask significant environmental and social impacts elsewhere, and neglecting resource depletion and ethical sourcing undermines sound governance, the study warns across the E, S, and G dimensions.

Policymakers should adopt comprehensive life cycle assessments to capture global supply-chain impacts, prioritise trade agreements promoting sustainable mining and fair labour, and support sustainable development in resource-rich regions. Businesses should invest in circular-economy initiatives and responsible sourcing to minimise extraction and promote social equity. For Indian firms, integrating life cycle assessment into transition strategies and monitoring supply-chain sourcing aligns ESG practice with a genuinely just transition.

Key figure — Published in Communications Earth & Environment, volume 6, article 266 (2025)