Swiss Cities Association calls for nationwide response to climate change, heat waves

Ilayda Cakirtekin

The Swiss Cities Association called for a nationwide response to adapting to climate change and the resulting heat waves, Swissinfo reported Sunday.

“Adapting to climate change is a task for society as a whole. We cities will only be able to tackle it by working together with the cantons and the federal government,” Hanspeter Hilfiker, president of the Swiss Cities Association, reportedly told Sonntagsblick in an interview.

Swissinfo reported that cities were already aware of climate change and had taken several measures, but still needed a structured funding framework and national coordination to prioritize them.

Hilfiker suggested removing paving from public spaces, increasing urban greenery and renovating school buildings to help cities adapt to rising temperatures.

He also called for air-conditioning systems in certain indoor spaces, such as hospitals and schools, while stressing that such systems are “just one small piece of the jigsaw” among the measures needed to ensure cities remain livable during heat waves.