Swiss Federal Office of Environment
The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (BAFU/FOEN) is Switzerland's federal environmental agency, providing nationwide environmental monitoring, geodata, policy coordination, and natural hazard protection across air, water, soil, biodiversity, and climate domains for the federal government, 26 cantons, businesses, and the public, funded through the federal budget.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersBern, Switzerland
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Swiss Federal Office of Environment does
The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (Bundesamt für Umwelt, BAFU; French: OFEV; Italian: UFAM) is a federal agency of the Swiss Confederation operating under the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (UVEK). Headquartered at Mühlestrasse 2, 3063 Ittigen (Canton of Bern), BAFU holds the statutory mandate for sustainable management of natural resources (air, soil, water, forests), climate policy, protection against natural hazards, biodiversity conservation, landscape quality, and international environmental policy coordination. Its core functional domains span nine environmental topic areas including air, water, soil, biodiversity, climate, natural hazards, waste, chemicals, noise, and biotechnology.
BAFU's core technology stack centers on GIS and Web-GIS platforms, geodatabase management systems, and nationwide environmental monitoring networks. Notable technical assets include the Web-GIS platform at map.bafu.admin.ch (100+ geodata layers), hydrological monitoring systems (NAWA surface water quality, NAQUA groundwater observation, hydrometric stations, water isotope networks), the SilvaProtect-CH national hazard indication system for protection forests, the SwissPRTR pollutant release and transfer register, and the GIN joint information platform for natural hazards. The agency operates internal coordination offices (LAINAT steering committee, GIN platform) linking MeteoSchweiz, FOCP, WSL/SLF, the Swiss Seismological Service, and swisstopo.
BAFU does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through the Swiss federal budget (taxpayer funds) and provides all environmental data, geodata, publications, and official documents free of charge to the public. Its customers are governmental (Swiss federal agencies, 26 cantons), regulated businesses (compliance and reporting), and the general public (data access and environmental information). Distribution occurs through its website, geo.admin.ch, opendata.swiss, multilingual publications, social media, the digital web magazine «die umwelt», and direct cantonal coordination.
Swiss Federal Office of Environment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Swiss Federal Office of Environment
- Legal name
- Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU
- Website
- https://bafu.admin.ch
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (BAFU/FOEN) is Switzerland's federal environmental agency, providing nationwide environmental monitoring, geodata, policy coordination, and natural hazard protection across air, water, soil, biodiversity, and climate domains for the federal government, 26 cantons, businesses, and the public, funded through the federal budget.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Swiss Federal Office of Environment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Environmental Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Agencies (BPAIAOAM), Greenhouse Gas (GHG) & Climate Regulatory Compliance (Mandatory Reporting, Cap-and-Trade Compliance) (EUAHABAG), Climate & Health Risk Regulation and Public Health Adaptation Authorities (HLAJAFAM), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)
Keywords
Where Swiss Federal Office of Environment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bern
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Swiss Federal Office of Environment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding: BAFU is funded through the Swiss federal budget (taxpayer funds). As a federal government agency, it does not generate commercial revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Public Access |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Swiss Federal Office of Environment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (BAFU/FOEN) is Switzerland's federal environmental agency. It coordinates national environmental policy, provides free environmental and geodata, monitors natural hazards, manages biodiversity and forest programs, and enforces environmental regulations across the country. The agency operates open-access platforms and distributes authoritative environmental information to cantonal authorities, businesses, researchers, and the general public.
Product overview
The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (BAFU/FOEN) operates a comprehensive environmental data and services platform rather than a traditional commercial product. The core offerings include the Umwelt- und Geodaten portal providing free access to environmental and geodata across topics such as water, biodiversity, soil, air, noise, forests, and natural hazards. Supporting services include the Web-GIS platform for interactive map viewing, the SwissPRTR pollutant register, environmental footprint indicators, and real-time hazard monitoring (flood warnings, forest fire danger, natural hazard status). The organization publishes the digital magazine «die umwelt» and provides indicator systems and environmental reports. These services are offered free of charge as government services and are accessed through the BAFU website, map.geo.admin.ch, and dedicated platforms like the Gemeinsame Informationsplattform Naturgefahren (GIN).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Umwelt- und Geodaten des BAFU (Environmental and Geodata)
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,000 contaminated sites documented; target to remediate all 4,000 contaminated sites by 2045
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Swiss Federal Office of Environment
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Swiss Federal Office of Environment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Swiss Federal Office of Environment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- LAINAT (Lenkungsausschuss Intervention Naturgefahren)coreSteering committee for natural hazard intervention comprising BAFU, MeteoSchweiz, Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), WSL/SLF (Snow and Avalanche Research Institute), Swiss Seismological Service. Since January 2018, swisstopo also joined. LAINAT coordinates hazard warning and alerting optimization (OWARNA project).
- GIN (Gemeinsame Informationsplattform Naturgefahren)coreJoint Information Platform for Natural Hazards operated by BAFU for coordinating specialist agencies. Provides coordination of specialist cooperation, user contact management, and training services.
- UN Environment Programme and International InitiativesmajorBAFU participates in international green economy initiatives and exchanges experiences with other national programs. Switzerland advocates for sustainable resource use internationally.
- European Union (EU)majorCoordination on environmental policy including EU Plastic Strategy, Single-Use Plastics Directive, and Packaging Regulation. BAFU monitors EU developments for potential Swiss adaptations.
- UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)majorBAFU participates in the PRTR Protocol (Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers) under UNECE, contributing to global pollutant tracking standards.
- Basel ConventioncoreSwitzerland is a party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes. BAFU supports enforcement including the 2019 decision to make mixed plastic wastes subject to controls.
- Swiss CantonscoreCantonal governments implement federal environmental policies at regional level with BAFU coordination. 26 cantons receive technical guidance and data support.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Swiss Federal Office of Environment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt): Germany's federal environmental agency providing scientific support on air, water, soil, and climate, plus nationwide environmental monitoring and reporting — closely comparable to BAFU's mandate and structure as a German-speaking peer agency.
- Environment Agency (UK): UK's principal environmental regulator responsible for flood risk, water quality, waste, and environmental monitoring. Comparable to BAFU in statutory environmental protection scope, monitoring networks, and public-data publishing.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC): Canada's federal ministry responsible for environmental policy, climate change, and nature conservation. Comparable to BAFU as a national environmental regulator in a federal system with provincial coordination requirements.
- Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet): Norway's national environmental agency responsible for pollution control, nature management, and environmental monitoring. Comparable to BAFU as a small-country Nordic environmental regulator with similar statutory scope.
- Austrian Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt): Austria's federal environment agency with a near-identical mandate to BAFU — climate, air, water, biodiversity, and environmental reporting — and operates in the same DACH regulatory ecosystem with close coordination ties.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: U.S. federal environmental regulator with statutory authority over air, water, waste, and chemical safety — directly comparable to BAFU as a national environmental protection and policy agency. Same regulatory, monitoring, and public-data mandate, scaled to the U.S.
- Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket): Sweden's national environmental agency with responsibility for environmental monitoring, climate, biodiversity, and contaminated sites. A Nordic peer with a similar mandate to BAFU and comparable scale.
- ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition): France's national agency for ecological transition covering environment, energy, and sustainable development. Comparable to BAFU in scope, scientific support role, and public-data publishing mandate.
- RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands): Dutch national institute combining public health and environmental research, monitoring, and policy support. Comparable to BAFU in combining scientific research with environmental monitoring and reporting for a small European nation.
Broad incumbents
- European Environment Agency (EEA): Supranational EU agency providing pan-European environmental data, indicators, and assessments. Comparable to BAFU in environmental data publishing and pan-regional coordination, but operates at a wider European scale rather than a single nation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Swiss Federal Office of Environment social profiles
Digital presenceSwiss Federal Office of Environment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Swiss Federal Office of Environment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Swiss Federal Office of Environment subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Swiss Federal Office of Environment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Swiss Federal Office of Environment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Swiss Federal Office of Environment
What does Swiss Federal Office of Environment do?
The Swiss Federal Office of Environment (BAFU/FOEN) is Switzerland's federal environmental agency. It coordinates national environmental policy, provides free environmental and geodata, monitors natural hazards, manages biodiversity and forest programs, and enforces environmental regulations across the country. The agency operates open-access platforms and distributes authoritative environmental information to cantonal authorities, businesses, researchers, and the general public.
Is Swiss Federal Office of Environment a public or private company?
Swiss Federal Office of Environment is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Swiss Federal Office of Environment founded?
Swiss Federal Office of Environment was founded in 1971. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Swiss Federal Office of Environment based?
Swiss Federal Office of Environment is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Swiss Federal Office of Environment make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are Swiss Federal Office of Environment's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Environment Agency (UK), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet), Austrian Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition) and RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands). European Environment Agency (EEA) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Swiss Federal Office of Environment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Swiss Federal Office of Environment.
What industry is Swiss Federal Office of Environment in?
Swiss Federal Office of Environment's product category is Government Environmental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAA, Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation, with a secondary code of BPAIAOAM, Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Agencies. Its NAICS code is 9241 and its SIC code is 9721.