Federal Office for the Environment

The Federal Office for the Environment^[a] is the Swiss environmental agency, a division of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. It is responsible for matters of the environment, including the protection of plants and animals and the protection against noise, air pollution or natural hazards.

Federal Office for the Environment

(in German) Bundesamt für Umwelt (in French) Office fédéral de l'environnement (in Italian) Ufficio federale dell'ambiente (in Romansh) Uffizi federal d'ambient
One of the buildings of the Federal Office for the Environment (Worblentalstrasse 68, Ittigen, 2014)
Agency overview
Formed	1971; 54 years ago (1971) (renamed in 2006)[1]
Jurisdiction	Federal administration of Switzerland
Headquarters	Bern
Minister responsible	Simonetta Sommaruga, Federal Councillor
Parent agency	Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
Website	www.bafu.admin.ch

Building at Monbijoustrasse 40, Bern (since 2022)

Former building at Papiermühlestrasse 172, Ittigen (until 2022)

History

The Federal Office for Environmental Protection was founded in 1971. In 1989, it was merged with the Federal Office for Forests and Landscape Protection to form the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape. In 2006, it was fused with the Federal Office for Water and Geology and renamed Federal Office for the Environment.^[2][1]

Directors

• Katrin Schneeberger (from September 2020)
• Christine Hofmann (Director a.i. from February to August 2020)
• Marc Chardonnens (2016–2020)^[3]
• Bruno Oberle (2005–2015)^[4]
• Philippe Roch (1992–2005)^[5]
• Bruno Böhlen (1985–1992)^[6]
• Rodolfo Pedroli (1975–1985)^[7]
• Friedrich Baldinger (1971–1975)^[8]

See also

• Environmental movement in Switzerland
• Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology
• Nature parks in Switzerland
• Waste management in Switzerland
• Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland

Notes

1. German: Bundesamt für Umwelt; French: Office fédéral de l'environnement; Italian: Ufficio federale dell'ambiente