Challenge #5 : Biodiversity

Dear participants,

We have already reached the final week of our carbon challenge! After exploring our mobility, consumption and energy habits, it is time to turn our attention to what constitutes the living heart of our planet: biodiversity.

Although often invisible in our daily lives, it is essential to our health, our food supply, our economy… and the climate that we have been striving to protect for several weeks now.

To conclude this journey, we invite you to reconnect with the living world around us: plants, soil, insects, birds, local ecosystems, and to take concrete action to preserve this precious resource that sustains our lives.

🌳 Why it matters?

Biodiversity in Switzerland – forests, alpine meadows, wetlands, lakes and mountains – forms the basis of our quality of life, food security, landscapes and health. But this wealth is under threat: Switzerland is a region that is particularly sensitive to climate change and therefore strongly affected by it. 

This has concrete consequences for ecosystems and humans: reduced snow cover and accelerated glacier melt, disruption of mountain habitats, more frequent droughts, severe heat waves and extreme precipitation.

Preserving biodiversity in Switzerland therefore means protecting not only species and landscapes, but also the essential services on which our daily lives, our security and our well-being depend.

Challenge #1: Your living space, a refuge for biodiversity 🌿

Objective: Transform your garden, balcony or green space into a haven for local flora and fauna.

Concrete actions:

  • Procrastinate! Leave some areas ‘natural’: unmowed lawns, piles of leaves or wood to provide natural habitats for insects, small creatures and microfauna.
  • Plant local species, honey plants or native shrubs rather than exotic ornamental plants to feed pollinators and preserve native flora. Even a small window sill can become a haven for pollinators and microfauna.
  • Take advantage of communal spaces: encourage the greening of shared courtyards, terraces or roofs in your building, or participate in an urban community garden to extend your actions beyond your home.

Challenge #2: Consume responsibly 🌱

Objective: Reduce indirect pressures on biodiversity caused by our lifestyle, gardening, food and consumption.

Concrete actions:

  • Reduce chemical products: avoid pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers in green spaces, favour natural or biodegradable household products to protect wildlife, flora and water quality.
  • Buy local, seasonal food products from sustainable or organic farms to reduce soil artificialisation and pollution.
  • Limit food waste and recycle your organic waste through composting to reduce pressure on natural resources.

Challenge #3: Raise awareness and get involved collectively 🤝

Objective: transform individual commitment into a collective effort 

Concrete actions:

  • Share your practices with those around you (neighbours, friends, family), discuss biodiversity, invite them to adopt simple actions, this develops a common culture of respect for nature.
  • If possible, get involved in a local project to strengthen ecological continuity and help nature develop at the local level.
  • Support or join biodiversity and climate protection programmes or associations to make a concrete contribution and benefit from advice, resources, or a network of committed individuals.

🌍 Local events & initiatives

  

→ MORE EVENTS – CLIMATE WEEK
→ MORE EVENTS – MAISON DE L’AVENIR

Thank you for completing this Carbon Challenge!

Well done for your commitment throughout this month dedicated to reducing our impact on the climate and better understanding our role in the face of ongoing changes.
Every action counts, and your efforts contribute to creating a healthier, more sustainable and more pleasant environment for everyone.

Even though the challenge is over, the adventure doesn’t end here. You can revisit each challenge whenever you want, at your own pace, according to your preferences or the season.

Let’s continue to move forward, one step at a time, and show that together, transition is possible.

See you soon,
The Carbon Challenge Team

Défis Energie