Climate Change

Over the past decade, extreme events such as heat, drought, storms and pests have taken a heavy toll on Swiss forests. In order for forests to continue to fulfil their functions for people and the environment in the future, they must be made more resilient to climate change. This is the conclusion of the 2025 Forest Report published by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

Snow-free slopes at 1,900 m.a.s.l.: SLF biologist Christian Rixen explains the consequences for plants and why late frost becomes a risk.

Global warming causes extreme temperatures – this is clear to most, but few realize that both droughts and heavy rains are symptomatic of a climate in crisis. Sonia Seneviratne explains the far-reaching impacts of climate extremes.

A joint EPFL and University of Lausanne research team reports on a novel observation of a plant protection mechanism in response to salt stress. The study opens new avenues of research to strengthen food security.

How can decarbonisation be implemented cost-effectively in the Rhine Valley? The canton of Graubünden, the energy suppliers and leading industrial companies in the Graubünden Rhine Valley have investigated this question together with Empa using innovative modelling techniques. The results confirm the assessments of the Economic Forum: Decarbonisation is technically feasible and economically interesting. The Empa study provides concrete technical implementation steps and serves as a model example that can also be transferred to other regions.

Two EPFL-led articles published in 'Nature' and 'Nature Microbiology' shed light on the uniqueness, complexity and climate-related vulnerability of the world’s glacier-fed-stream microbiome.