Exit polls indicate Swiss approve climate bill as Alpine nation’s iconic glaciers succumb to warming

BERLIN (AP) — Exit polls indicate that a majority of Swiss citizens have voted in favor of a bill aimed at introducing new climate measures to sharply curb the rich Alpine nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Sunday’s referendum was sparked by a campaign by scientists and environmentalists to save Switzerland’s iconic glaciers, which are melting away at an alarming rate. Campaigners initially proposed even more ambitious measures but later backed a government plan that requires Switzerland to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. It also sets aside more than $3 billion to help wean companies and homeowners off fossil fuels. The nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which had demanded the popular vote, had claimed the proposed measures would cause electricity prices to rise.