Climate-Related Changes in Switzerland: Impacts on the Economy and Society

Auswirkungen, die bereits heute spürbar sind

Die Schweiz zählt zu den Regionen, in denen die Folgen des Klimawandels besonders ausgeprägt sind. Im Alpenraum ist die Erwärmung seit dem späten 19. Jahrhundert im Vergleich zum weltweiten Durchschnitt rund doppelt so stark angestiegen. Die Veränderungen zeigen sich in verschiedenen Lebens- und Wirtschaftsbereichen.[1]

Melting glaciers and declining snowpack are reducing seasonal water reserves and altering water availability, with direct impacts on hydropower, water supply, and other water-dependent uses, among other things. [2]Persistent drought drove up feed prices and operating costs in agriculture. Heavy rainfall events in Ticino this summer disrupted regional supply chains and thus affected delivery commitments.

The summer of 2026 is not an isolated event. Climate-related changes are having an increasing impact on locations, infrastructure, supply chains, and costs.[3] The Rhine River provided a particularly clear example of how this can lead to a concrete business risk.

Low Water Levels on the Rhine: A Business Risk for Swiss Companies

As documented by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), about one-fifth of all Swiss monitoring stations recorded new low-water records in the summer of 2026. In early August 2026, several gauging stations along the Rhine recorded water levels that had not been seen since measurements began in 1880.[4]

Just under four million metric tons of goods enter Switzerland each year through the ports of Basel, Muttenz, and Birsfelden—including petroleum products, industrial raw materials, and agricultural commodities. During periods of low water, such as those seen in recent weeks, cargo ships can carry, on average, only about 40 percent of their usual cargo. The result: a significant increase in the number of trips or a shift to road and rail transport, which are generally more expensive and have limited capacity.[5,6]

The consequences range from higher procurement costs to production and delivery bottlenecks. Prices for raw materials and intermediate products are rising, delivery times are lengthening, and production schedules are coming under pressure. In particularly critical cases, companies must scale back or temporarily suspend production. The economic damage caused by previous periods of low water levels illustrates the extent of the problem: In 2018, BASF had to record a loss of 200 to 250 million euros – simply due to the disruption of the Rhine route, through which the company sourced about 40 percent of its raw materials.[7] In 2022, low water levels coincided with already strained supply chains and record-high energy prices. The combination of these two factors hit many companies hard.[8]

This poses a twofold risk for companies: They must cope with higher costs while simultaneously dealing with potentially declining demand and increasing competitive pressure. If transportation costs become permanently higher and less predictable, this could further weaken their competitiveness relative to companies in Asia and North America.[3]

Climate Risks as a Component of Corporate Management

Water levels will rise again. However, the structural risk to businesses remains. Periods of exceptionally low water levels may be followed by floods, heavy rainfall, and other extreme events that disrupt production sites, warehouses, transportation routes, and critical infrastructure.[9]

The key question, therefore, is not how a company responds to the current event. Rather, it must assess how resilient its business model is to recurring and intensifying climate events and what specific impacts these have on assets, processes, supply chains, and markets.

Many companies have not yet systematically addressed this question. The focus here is not on a general discussion of climate change, but on concrete, company-specific insights that can serve as a basis for decision-making.

Unser BeratungsangebotKlimarisikoanalyse und -managementschafft diese Grundlage. Wir arbeiten in drei aufeinander aufbauenden Schritten:

Physical Scenario Analysis: We identify the specific climate-related risks affecting your company—from disrupted transportation routes and production outages at exposed locations to water shortages in the supply chain. The analysis combines climate models with your specific location, asset, and process data.

Transitional Scenario Analysis: At the same time, we identify the risks and opportunities arising from decarbonization. In doing so, we take into account changing regulatory requirements, new technologies, and shifting market conditions. This perspective is becoming particularly important for Swiss companies that are increasingly confronted with EU requirements.

Integration into Risk Management: We permanently embed the results into our corporate governance framework, with clear responsibilities, defined processes, and a prioritized roadmap of actions. This creates a solid foundation for:

• Location and Investment Decisions: Assessing Climate Risks in Site Selection and Capital Allocation

• Supply Chain Strategy: Identifying Vulnerabilities and Developing Alternatives

• Business Continuity Planning: Preparing for Climate-Related Disruptions

• Adaptation Measures: Prioritization Based on Risk Reduction, Cost-Benefit Ratio, and Feasibility

• Insurance and Financing Decisions: Optimizing Risk Protection and Cost of Capital

• Reporting and Stakeholder Communication: Integration into Management Tools and Reporting

The analysis also highlights opportunities arising from the transformation: more efficient processes, more resilient supply chains, new financing options, and sustainable business models.

Resilience begins with sound decisions

The record-low water levels in 2026 highlight an issue that Swiss companies will face more frequently in the future: Climate risks have a direct impact on costs, processes, and business models. Companies that analyze their dependencies early on can identify critical vulnerabilities and ensure their ability to respond. This involves not waiting until a crisis strikes to address climate risks, but rather integrating them into investment decisions, supply chain management, and operational management.

Eine systematische Klimarisikoanalyse schafft dafür die notwendige Grundlage. So wird aus der Reaktion auf ein Extremwetterereignis ein vorausschauender Ansatz für Zukunftsfähigkeit und Resilienz.

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Quellen:

[1] Bundesamt für Umwelt (o. D.): Klimawandel. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.bafu.admin.ch/de/naturgefahren-klimawandel(abgerufen am 14.09.2026).

[2] MeteoSchweiz (2026, August): Extremste Sommertrockenheit seit Messbeginn. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch/ueber-uns/meteoschweiz-blog/de/2026/08/extremste-sommertrockenheit-seit-messbeginn.html(abgerufen am 06.08.2026).

[3] Süddeutsche Zeitung (2026, 5. August): Ökonomen befürchten höhere Inflation durch Niedrigwasser. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/hitze-trockenheit-niedrigwasser-inflation-wirtschaft-rhein-li.3526959(abgerufen am 06.08.2026).

[4] Bundesamt für Umwelt (2026, 8. September): Sommer 2026: Trockenheit und hohe Waldbrandgefahr. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.bafu.admin.ch/de/sommer-2026-trockenheit-und-hohe-wassertemperaturen(abgerufen am 14.09.2026).

[5] Steiger, J. (2026, 10. August): Rhein-Niedrigwasser könnte Güterverkehr in die Schweiz unterbrechen. 20 Minuten. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.20min.ch/story/rhein-niedrigwasser-koennte-gueterverkehr-in-die-schweiz-unterbrechen-103615411(abgerufen am 10.08.2026).

[6] Schweizerische Rheinhäfen (2026, 2. März): Umschlagszahlen 2025: Weniger Energieimport – Containerverkehr auf Wachstumskurs. Online verfügbar unter:https://port-of-switzerland.ch/umschlagszahlen-2025-weniger-energieimport-containerverkehr-auf-wachstumskurs/(abgerufen am 14.09.2026).

[7] BASF SE: BASF-Bericht 2018: Ökonomische, ökologische und gesellschaftliche Leistung. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.basf.com/dam/jcr:d85db150-9ae1-3d29-b13f-bda7cfbf0c31/BASF_Bericht_2018.pdf(abgerufen am 07.08.2026).

[8] Schweizerische Rheinhäfen (2022, 30. November): Umschlagsstatistik 3. Quartal 2022: Niedrigwasser im Sommer hinterlässt Spuren. Online verfügbar unter:https://port-of-switzerland.ch/umschlagsstatistik-3-quartal-2022-niedrigwasser-im-sommer-hinterlaesst-spuren/(abgerufen am 14.09.2026).

[9] Bundesamt für Umwelt (o. D.): Gewässer im Klimawandel. Online verfügbar unter:https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/de/home/themen/wasser/gewaesser-im-klimawandel.html(abgerufen am 10.08.2026).