Inflation, extreme weather and wars identified as top global risks
2023-01-12
Global stability is most threatened by rising food and energy costs, climate-related disasters and the risk of further military conflict, according to 1,200 experts canvassed by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
From cocoa bean to chocolate: the process explained
2023-01-10
The chocolate supply chain features many intermediaries from bean to bar. Those doing the hardest jobs at the bottom of the chain get a tiny portion of a bar’s price while those at the top make the most money.
Today, Ivory Coast and Ghana produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa beans and Switzerland has become synonymous with chocolate. This mutually beneficial relationship has come under strain in recent years. The West African countries are no longer satisfied with their meagre slice of $6 billion of the $120 billion chocolate industry. Switzerland, along with the European Union and the US, is unhappy about deforestation and child labour in cocoa growing regions of West Africa.
West Africa wants to change the status quo and is trying to renegotiate its role in the chocolate industry.
Switzerland in 2023: New year, new laws
2023-01-01
From getting a drone licence to paying for Covid tests, here’s a selection of ten legal tweaks that came into force in Switzerland on January 1. AIRLINES: Passengers can claim more compensation for delayed or lost luggage – up to around CHF1,640 ($1,770). Previously it was CHF1,520. The tedious paperwork hasn’t changed, however.
E-cigarette tax mooted in Switzerland
2022-10-27
The Swiss government has proposed amending the Tobacco Act to introduce a new tax for electronic cigarettes.
Credit Suisse to settle tax probe in France
2022-10-26
Credit Suisse Group and the French financial prosecution office have agreed to settle a tax fraud and money laundering case in France with a €238 million (CH234 million) payment to the state, a French court heard on Monday.
Swiss companies and towns join forces to save energy
2022-10-23
Switzerland has launched an Energy Saving Alliance of companies, government, cantons, civil society and municipalities in an effort to preserve gas and electricity supplies over the winter.
Mountaintop solar farms spark tensions in Switzerland
2022-10-22
Building large solar parks in high-mountain regions is arguably an effective way to produce more power in winter and accelerate the energy transition. But it remains controversial in Switzerland, where environmental groups have contested planned installations.
‘On boards of directors diversity is essential’
2022-10-17
Cornelia Ritz Bossicard leads swissVR, an independent Swiss association of board members. She explains the role that boards of directors and their members play in steering businesses.