Axpo operates the former Greenpeace domain Klimawahl.ch

At the beginning of the month, the electricity group Axpo launched a website called Klimawahl.ch. With this, the energy producer owned by the cantons of northeastern Switzerland wants to play an active role in the climate debate in the Swiss election year.

"We see the discussion as a great opportunity and want to actively contribute facts and input," says spokeswoman Catherine Mettler. Among other things, Axpo speaks out in favor of nuclear power plants as a "central bridging technology" from a climate perspective on the web platform. 

Now research shows the Handelszeitungthat today's Axpo site Klimawahl.ch belonged to Greenpeace until a few years ago. At that time, the NGO rejected "nuclear power for climate protection". The "outdated and dirty technology" is inefficient, prevents solutions, "namely the efficient use of energy", and creates other problems such as "radioactive waste". 

In 2014, Greenpeace gave up the address Klimawahl.ch. "We can no longer find out why we let the domain expire," says Yves Zenger. The Greenpeace spokesman emphasizes that at the time, it was simply not possible to anticipate that politicians would finally recognize the climate problem.