Switzerland's net zero objective: quantifying impacts beyond borders

National energy system models are vital to climate policy. However, they do not assess environmental impacts beyond territorial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Here, we evaluate a territorial net zero GHG emissions energy scenario for Switzerland coupled with life-cycle assessment to quantify non-domestic environmental burdens. We stress the limited insights from considering territorial GHG emissions only. Indeed, significant GHG emissions persist outside of Switzerland by 2050 (~3-5 Mtons CO ₂ -eq./year) because of imports and energy related infrastructure, even though domestic emissions are reduced to net zero. Global climate policies influence the extra-territorial GHG emissions Switzerland is responsible for. Additionally, we must broaden the spectrum of environmental indicators in the context of many countries’ ambitions to achieve net zero goals. Our findings highlight the trade-offs involved, showing how environmental impacts other than those on climate change (ecosystem impacts, air pollution, natural resource use) could increase and shift from Switzerland to the rest of the world as the country electrifies its economy.