Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Nestlé accused of sourcing palm oil linked to forest fires in Indonesia

2019-11-06

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2019-11-06

The environmental group Greenpeace claims that the Swiss food giant procured palm oil from suppliers linked to around 9,700 fire hotspots in Indonesia this year. A Greenpeace reportexternal link released on Monday examines the supply chain of four major food companies – Nestlé, Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Mondelēz – and compares them to palm oil suppliers that are under investigation for starting illegal fires.

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There’s plastic in your beer: here’s why

2019-11-06

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Plastic is all around us: it’s so present in our everyday lives we don’t just find it in our cupboards and on our desks, we even find it inside human bodies. A study published by the University of Newcastle found plastic traces all the way inside our muscles. For a material that’s so intrinsic to the way we live, recycling plastics is surprisingly difficult, and still seems to be a riddle in Switzerland. As waste management is in each canton or...

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There’s plastic in your beer: here’s why

2019-11-06

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Plastic is all around us: it’s so present in our everyday lives we don’t just find it in our cupboards and on our desks, we even find it inside human bodies. A study published by the University of Newcastle found plastic traces all the way inside our muscles. For a material that’s so intrinsic to … Continue reading »

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Would an Uber ban in Geneva push other cities to treat drivers as employees?

2019-11-06

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2019-11-06

It’s not the first time Uber has faced some bumps on the road in canton Geneva. But the latest move requiring the ride-hailing company to treat drivers as employees could spell big changes for the company. Will Uber call it quits or set a precedent for other cities?

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‘Farinet’ local currency to be withdrawn from circulation

2019-11-05

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2019-11-05

The Farinet – a local currency introduced in canton Valais in 2017 – is to be withdrawn from circulation at the end of 2019 after failing to stimulate the regional economy as hoped. Farinet banknotes were introduced in Valais in western Switzerland in spring 2017. But on Tuesday the association behind the currency announced it planned to withdraw it at the end of this year.

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Parties’ position on gender equality

2019-11-05

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On October 20, a new parliament was elected and never before have so many women been chosen as parliamentarians. While their election can be viewed as a good thing in terms of gender balance, it’s not automatically good news for gender equality issues, as each party has its own manifesto and position on matters such … Continue...

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Switzerland’s growth hampered by trade tensions, economic slowdown

2019-11-05

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2019-11-05

Trade tensions coupled with a slowdown in Europe are likely to take a toll on the Swiss economy over the next two years, the OECD forecasts. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revised its growth forecasts downwards for Switzerland. It also recommended Switzerland raise its retirement age.

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Why Nestlé won’t meet its zero-deforestation pledge

2019-11-04

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2019-11-04

When it came under fire from environmental groups over its harvesting of palm oil, Swiss food giant Nestlé committed to eliminating deforestation from its supply chain by next year. But it will take another three years to come close to accomplishing that goal.

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Switzerland calls time on phone booths

2019-11-02

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2019-11-02

The last telephone box in French-speaking Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, was dismantled on Thursday. Swisscom will remove the one in the country – in Baden, northern Switzerland – on November 28. An era in the history of Swiss telecommunications is thus coming to an end, an era that witnessed millions of declarations of love, tears and banal conversations in the little cabins that once stood on almost every street corner.

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Credit Suisse results impress despite damaging spy scandal

2019-10-31

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2019-10-31

Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam has reiterated that he had nothing to do with the spying scandal that recently rocked the bank. Thiam insisted that the debacle has not damaged business as the bank presented better than expected third quarter results.

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Campaign targets online gambling addicts

2019-10-29

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2019-10-29

An awareness campaign has been launched to help addicted online gamblers in Switzerland cope with their compulsive behaviour. An independent foundation said it published a special digital programme, Gambling without Addiction, with the authorities in most cantons of German-speaking Switzerland.

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General Electric limits job cuts in Switzerland

2019-10-29

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2019-10-29

The American industrial conglomerate General Electric has announced a reduction in the number of planned layoffs at its subsidiaries in Switzerland. The company said a maximum of 200 people would lose their jobs at two of its sites west of Zurich. In June it had announced a figure of some 450.

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Real wages set to rise in Switzerland for first time in three years

2019-10-28

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2019-10-28

Employees in Switzerland are expected to receive above-inflation pay rises for the first time since 2016, according to a survey of companies. On average, workers are forecast to take home a 1.1% pay hike – a rise of 0.9% when taking inflation into account. These are the findings of research portal Lohntendenzen.ch, as reported by the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.

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How pension payments are making Swiss housing unaffordable

2019-10-27

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2019-10-27

Under pressure to invest, Swiss pension funds are ploughing money into real estate, considered a safe and profitable option. As this drives up housing prices, however, desperate residents are fighting back through direct democracy. Building land in central Switzerland is scarce, and apartments and houses expensive, especially in cities.

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Five things to come out of Zuckerberg’s Libra testimony

2019-10-26

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2019-10-26

Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of the US Congress on Wednesday about his company’s plans to launch a new, global digital currency. During a marathon hearing, the Facebook chief executive and founder attempted to change the narrative surrounding Project Libra. The proposed currency has been beset by criticism from regulators and politicians, while support from corporate partners has dwindled.

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Zurich residents take on real estate investors to keep their homes

2019-10-26

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2019-10-26

In a modest Zurich neighbourhood, long-time residents of a sprawling apartment complex will lose their homes if a planned renewal project backed by a pension fund goes ahead. Similar projects are happening across Switzerland as funds invest heavily in real estate amid low interest rates.

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Self-censorship increases online amid data privacy concerns

2019-10-25

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2019-10-25

The Swiss are using the internet more than ever but have growing angst about companies like Facebook violating their privacy. The consequence is a rising trend to self-censorship: not looking for certain information or not expressing oneself online.

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Startups struggle to make a mark in the conservative luxury industry

2019-10-25

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2019-10-25

Swiss luxury startups are finding it difficult to break into an established market that can be averse to change due to longstanding traditions. “When I was working for an auction house a couple of years ago the chairman handed me a gadget a client had given him. It was a USB stick and he did not know what it was.”

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Nestlé remains among top plastic polluters in the world

2019-10-24

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2019-10-24

The Swiss food giant has been placed second behind Coca-Cola in an audit of plastic waste by a coalition of environmental organisations. The results of the analysis, released on Wednesday by the Break Free From Plasticexternal link movement, prompted the authors to single out the corporations that finished in the top three for the second year in a row – Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo – for having offered “mostly false solutions to the plastics...

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Three surprises and one piece of sad news

2019-10-23

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Last Sunday’s federal election was historic for many reasons, but also disappointing for some voters, as for the first time it wasn’t possible to vote electronically. Despite some voting material being delivered late to Swiss living abroad, some of them still managed to cast their vote and give us feedback on the outcome. Nouvo brings …

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