immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Emissionen

  • Swiss Cultural Message 2025–28 for building culture

    Swiss Cultural Message 2025–28 for building culture

    The draft Cultural Message 2025-28 places building culture at the centre of sustainable spatial development. In the face of climate change, resource scarcity and the loss of biodiversity, the design of living space is gaining strategic importance. With its holistic approach, Baukultur provides answers to key challenges and enables a sustainable future.

    Design as a social mission
    Baukultur encompasses all spatially effective activities from monument preservation and urban planning to the design of contemporary buildings. Well-designed buildings, settlements and infrastructure promote the well-being of the population, strengthen the cultural heritage and combine ecological, social, economic and cultural values. This integrative quality makes Baukultur a decisive instrument for the transformation of cities and regions.

    Forward-looking impetus from Davos
    The international Davos Baukultur process and the latest declarations by European culture ministers confirm the need for a holistic understanding of Baukultur. Switzerland is taking up this impetus and is planning to enshrine Baukultur in the Nature and Cultural Heritage Protection Act, an important step towards strengthening the federal government’s role model function and making targeted use of existing funding instruments.

    Circular economy and innovation as guidelines
    Future building culture must be consistently geared towards the circular economy and sufficiency. New standards such as life cycle limits for emissions, the conscious use of resources and a culture of remodelling form the foundation. In addition, a culture of innovation is needed that promotes new materials, technologies and processes.

    Recommendations for coherent implementation
    The signatory organisations have made specific demands. The environmental sector should be more closely integrated, municipalities and cities should be included in advisory and training programmes and effective construction taxation should be taken into account when adjusting subsidies. In addition, a consistent application of the concept of Baukultur is required, for example in the Swiss Culture Awards or in the work of Pro Helvetia. The Swiss Building Culture Round Table offers itself as a national platform for coordination with international initiatives.

  • Digital building solutions company receives top marks for climate protection

    Digital building solutions company receives top marks for climate protection

    KONE has received an A grade from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for outstanding environmental transparency and climate protection measures. The global manufacturer of lifts, escalators and automatic doors, which is based in Espoo, Finland, and has its Swiss headquarters in Brüttisellen, is one of the few companies out of a total of 25,000 to receive a top grade, KONE announced in a press release. In addition, CDP has awarded the company an A or A- rating for the twelfth time in a row. KONE sees this as confirmation of its consistent sustainability and environmental management.

    “It is an honour for us to receive a place on CDP’s prestigious A-list for climate protection,” Kirsi Simola-Laaksonen, Senior Vice President Sustainability and Environment at KONE, is quoted as saying in the press release. “We are accelerating our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and help our customers decarbonise.” For example, KONE’s technologies help to reduce the energy consumption of lifts, explains the KONE manager.

    In its own operations, KONE has committed to halving its operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030 compared to 2018. Indirect emissions from the value chain (Scope 3) are to be reduced by 40 per cent over the same period. Last year, KONE’s operational emissions were already 29 per cent lower than in the base year 2018. At the same time, Scope 3 emissions were reduced by 12.8 per cent. In addition, KONE was “the first company in the industry” to achieve “carbon-neutral production units worldwide” as early as summer 2023, according to the press release.

  • Winterthur approves the renewal of the waste incineration plant

    Winterthur approves the renewal of the waste incineration plant

    The voters of Winterthur have clearly approved the renewal of the municipal waste incineration plant with 87.0% and a yes majority in all city districts. This means that incineration line 2 of the waste incineration plant can be renewed. Investments of CHF 293 million are planned for a new incinerator, an electrostatic precipitator, a new flue gas cleaning system and a new waste water treatment system.

    The new plant will be able to incinerate 190,000 tons of waste per year while maintaining the same capacity. In future, however, it will be possible to use the waste heat from flue gas cleaning for district heating. This will increase its heat output by 30 percent. In addition, the flue gas cleaning system will in future be 40 percent below the limit value for nitrogen oxide emissions and save 12.6 cubic meters of water by condensing the flue gases. In future, the new wastewater treatment system will recover up to 7.5 tons of gypsum per day. An additional hot water storage tank and a photovoltaic system are also planned.

    The project will be financed via the fees budget.

  • Emissions from heating oil and gas are falling

    Emissions from heating oil and gas are falling

    In Switzerland, emissions from fuels fell significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year, namely by 8.8 per cent. The different cold winter months were converted to average weather conditions. Compared to 1990, these emissions were 41.7 per cent lower. This is shown in the recently published CO2 statistics for 2023, which are published annually by the Federal Office for the Environment(FOEN).

    According to its press release, this decrease is mainly due to the improved energy efficiency of buildings and the increased use of renewable energies for heating. In particular, gas consumption has fallen significantly for the second year in a row.

    In contrast, CO2 emissions caused by fuels such as petrol and diesel remained the same as in the previous year. Compared to 1990, emissions have fallen by 5.2 per cent. According to the data, the fact that they did not rise again after the pandemic, i.e. after 2022, is partly due to the change in mobility behaviour that began at that time: more working from home and fewer business trips. On the other hand, the FOEN also cites the growing share of electromobility as a reason for this. The share of biogenic fuels in total fuel consumption has risen slightly from 3.4 per cent to 3.6 per cent.

  • Escalator company receives top score in global environmental rating

    Escalator company receives top score in global environmental rating

    The renowned non-profit environmental organisation Carbon Disclosure Project has awarded the company the top grade of “A” for its commitment to supplier management. This distinction was awarded as part of the Supplier Management Rating Leaderboard for 2023, in which KONE was ranked 55th out of a total of 21,000 audited companies in the Clean200 ranking by Corporate Knights, a Canadian company that specialises in promoting a sustainable economy.

    As the only representative of its industry in the Clean200 list, it emphasises its ambitious commitment to sustainability and the environment. Mikko Korte, emphasises the importance of this recognition and highlights the successful cooperation with suppliers, which contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of the products.

    The rating, which is regarded as the highest standard for environmental transparency, is based on voluntarily provided company data on CO2 emissions, climate risks and reduction strategies. The “A” grade awarded reflects the company’s comprehensive environmental leadership and understanding of environmental risks.

    In addition to being recognised by the CPD, the company has also demonstrated leadership in implementing its own environmental targets as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Through a comprehensive sustainability strategy, it aims to become a carbon neutral company by 2030 and reduce operational emissions by 50% compared to the 2018 baseline.

    These ambitious targets include not only direct greenhouse gas emissions, but also indirect emissions related to energy consumption and the procurement of resources. The company also aims to reduce emissions related to its products and their life cycle by 40 % by focussing on sustainable materials and energy sources.

  • Swiss premiere 100% recycled aluminium for Green Metro Campus

    Swiss premiere 100% recycled aluminium for Green Metro Campus

    This is the third project in Europe and a first for Switzerland. Green has teamed up with Implenia, Ernst Schweizer and Hydro Building Systems to implement this innovative solution. The use of recycled end-of-life aluminium leads to a significant reduction of the CO2 footprint by a factor of 40 and more than 167 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved.

    The 100% recycled aluminium is used in the façade elements and reduces the CO2 footprint by a factor of 40 compared to primary aluminium, without compromising on quality. Roger Süess, CEO of Green, explains: “We are constantly exploring innovative ways to use new materials and are delighted that we have succeeded in doing so in collaboration with our partners.”

    Aluminium is considered a pioneering material for sustainable construction due to its strength, lightness and durability. It can be recycled almost indefinitely, using only 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminium. Due to these excellent recycling properties, aluminium is already seen as an important part of a circular economy and its importance in the construction industry is expected to increase.

    The façade elements for the new office building will be manufactured by Ernst Schweizer AG, while the aluminium will be produced by the Norwegian Hydro Group. This is currently the only manufacturer that can produce high-quality 100% end-of-life aluminium without the addition of primary aluminium and with a near-zero CO2 footprint. Although recycled end-of-life aluminium is currently available in small quantities and is associated with higher costs, the four partners are setting an example by using this promising material in Switzerland for the first time.

  • Early planning phase is crucial for net zero in real estate

    Early planning phase is crucial for net zero in real estate

    A broad-based portfolio study by Implenia shows how climate-neutral buildings can be realised. For this study, the construction company’s Real Estate Division examined 36 of its own development projects in Switzerland. According to a press release, this study reveals the most important levers for decarbonising buildings over their entire life cycle, both in terms of emissions during their construction and during operation.

    Implenia has compiled these influencing factors in a white paper. It is aimed at investors, developers and clients who want to bring their project onto a net-zero target path.

    According to this analysis, the most effective levers for decarbonisation can be found in the early planning phase, starting with site selection. This is because if the site conditions are unfavourable in terms of renewable energies, it is much more difficult to achieve net-zero use.

    In addition, building parameters set early on also have “a significant impact on emissions targets”. These include shape, compactness, orientation, basement and support structure. “With the right combination of location, design, the use of renewable energies, intelligent systems and ecological materials, we develop buildings in which future generations can live and work sustainably,” says Marc Lyon, Head Real Estate Development Switzerland at Implenia.

  • Building contractors are committed to the circular economy

    Building contractors are committed to the circular economy

    The construction and operation of buildings and infrastructures account for around half of Switzerland’s total demand for raw materials. At the same time, one third of CO2 emissions and over 80 per cent of waste are generated here. Twelve of the largest public and private building contractors want to remedy this situation, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research(Empa) informs in a press release. Together with Allreal, AXA Investment Managers Schweiz AG, the Construction Department of the Canton of Zurich, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics, the Building Department of the City of Zurich, Post Immobilien Management und Services AG, Swiss Prime Site, Swiss Life Asset Management AG, UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG, Zug Estates and Zurich Invest AG, Empa has signed the “Charter for Circular Construction“.

    The charter aims to promote the circular economy in the Swiss construction industry. To this end, the aim is to reduce the use of non-renewable primary raw materials to half of the total mass. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions are to be recorded in a first step and then greatly reduced. To this end, the Charter partners want to develop innovative solutions. As examples, the communication mentions renovating instead of building new, building for the long term, reducing the use of materials and reusing raw materials.

    The twelve initial signatories of the charter together underwrite around 4 billion francs of building construction investments annually, Empa explains. Other building owners are invited to join the charter and its goals.

  • Dormakaba supplies Hörmann with CO2-neutral products

    Dormakaba supplies Hörmann with CO2-neutral products

    The companies dormakaba in Rümlang and Hörmann in Steinhagen, Germany, have agreed to cooperate in the area of sustainability. According to a media release, Hörmann will purchase CO2-neutral products from dormakaba Germany from 1 June 2023. This measure is an important step in the climate protection commitment of the door and gate manufacturer Hörmann, it continues.

    The company Hörmann wants to strengthen its climate protection commitment, it says in the press release. The company is aware that emissions in the upstream or downstream supply chain are the most difficult to influence. However, this area, known as Scope 3, accounts for the largest share of all emissions. For this reason, Hörmann also wants to include suppliers and partners in its climate protection commitment. In dormakaba, Hörmann has found a partner who is considered a pioneer in sustainability in the industry.

    “With this step, we at dormakaba are sending a clear signal of how important the topic of sustainability is to us and are taking responsibility as a company,” Michael Hensel, Managing Director of dormakaba Deutschland GmbH in Ennepetal, is quoted as saying.

    “Our long-standing partner dormakaba is already known as a pioneer in the industry in the field of sustainability and climate protection,” Martin J. Hörmann, personally liable partner of the Hörmann Group, is quoted as saying. “Its achievements there have been recognised by leading bodies. We are therefore pleased that dormakaba will be supplying all products with an environmental product declaration in a CO2-neutral manner from 01.06.2023.”

  • Daetwyler relies on solar power

    Daetwyler relies on solar power

    Nine of Daetwyler ‘s 27 production sites already cover their electricity needs entirely from renewable energy sources, the Uri-based industrial group says in a statement. Most of the energy is sourced from local electricity suppliers. However, Daetwyler also produces its own solar power for self-consumption at six locations.

    A start was made in 2021 on the roofs of the Indian plant in Kesurdi. Some 8000 square metres of solar panels installed there will reduce the Group’s CO2 emissions by 1500 tonnes annually, Daetwyler writes. Last year, another five production sites in Switzerland, Italy and Germany were equipped with photovoltaic systems. In total, the systems at the six sites are expected to supply around 4.4 gigawatt hours of solar power annually for Daetwyler’s own consumption.

    The switch to electricity from renewable sources, combined with measures to improve energy efficiency, has led to a 4.7 percent reduction in CO2 emissions in 2022 compared with the previous year. Daetwyler aims to achieve climate-neutral production worldwide by 2030. To this end, the Group is currently examining further projects, such as the installation of solar cells on the façade of the plant in Schattdorf UR. Daetwyler also intends to increase the share of electricity from renewable sources at the sites of Xinhui and QSR, acquired in 2022.

  • Andermatt Swiss Alps makes progress in sustainability

    Andermatt Swiss Alps makes progress in sustainability

    The Andermatt Swiss Alps Group and Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG have defined sustainability goals for 2021. The “AndermattResponsible 2022 Progress Report” now provides a first interim status. For the report, the two companies had their greenhouse gas footprint calculated for the third time.

    In absolute terms, the emissions of the two companies in 2022 were 44.4 percent higher than in the previous year, informs the Andermatt Swiss Alps Group in a statement about the report. The company attributes the increase to the ongoing construction work in Andermatt Reuss and higher guest numbers. On the other hand, the average emissions per guest in the business have “mostly decreased, as the partly fixed greenhouse gas emissions of the skiing area, hotel business and gastronomy accrue to a larger number of guests”.

    Indirect emissions from the provision of energy were very low in 2022, as electricity and heat for the new buildings and the operation of the mountain railways are supplied with regional and climate-neutral electricity. In addition, energy consumption was reduced by 10 per cent compared to the previous year. In the reporting year, several projects were also carried out to reduce waste and combat food waste.

    In the reduction of waste, the two companies have already exceeded their set target of reducing the amount by 20 per cent. Specifically, 28.3 per cent less waste was generated in the reporting year than in the 2019 reference year. At 40 per cent, the rate of local staffing in catering was also already above the target of 35 per cent.

  • Schindler has set a goal of zero net emissions by 2040

    Schindler has set a goal of zero net emissions by 2040

    "Now we need climate protection measures," said Silvio Napoli, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive of Schindler. "We have probably set the most ambitious goals in our industry to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future."

    The SBTi confirmed both Schindler's short-term and long-term goals. Schindler's short-term target for 2030 includes an absolute reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 50%, starting from base year 2020. This includes direct emissions caused by the fleet, buildings and processes of the company (Scope 1), in addition to the indirect emissions Emissions from the purchase of electricity, heating and cooling (Scope 2). Furthermore, Schindler wants to reduce emissions in its value chain by 42% (Scope 3).

    In addition, Schindler has set a science-based, long-term emission reduction goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. This must be achieved through an absolute 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the fields. 1, 2 and 3, starting from base year 2020. In line with SBTi criteria and recommendations, Schindler is prioritizing decarbonisation through direct emission reduction while working to neutralize its residual emissions.

    The science goals use the latest climate science to achieve the Paris Agreement's goals: limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels. The short-term goals describe how organizations will reduce their emissions over the next five to ten years. The long-term goals indicate the level of emissions reductions organizations will need to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. They are created by companies and validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Natura (WWF).

    Schindler also released its 2021 Sustainability Report today. It outlines its progress towards the 2022 Sustainability Roadmap and presents the results of the recently completed materiality assessment, which will feed into the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap.

    The report also illustrates how Schindler is working with clients to help them meet their climate goals and with other real estate players to drive the necessary change. Schindler has been publishing a sustainability report every year since 2011.

    Source group.schindler.com for download

  • Climate neutral by 2050

    Climate neutral by 2050

    Many homeowners cannot afford a renovation. Long-term loans are now intended to support builders who want to make their property climate-friendly but do not have sufficient financial resources or prefer to invest their money in their core business. At least that's what the state wants. Whether and how this can be done remains questionable. Because the financial institutions intended for this, such as banks and insurance companies, are hardly interested in loans with terms of more than 30 years. The federal government therefore wants to act as a security guarantor. A pilot project in Berne is now to examine whether this financing idea is realistic.

    The Zuger Energeek Group AG proposes another way. "With Energeek®, the solar panel with rental for you", she gets people to invest in solar energy, whether they own real estate or not. Energeek provides the solar panels and the real estate projects. Anyone who wants to invest can buy one or more panels online and then rent them out to a project company. Upon purchase, the buyer also benefits immediately from the one-time payment (EIV), the federal subsidy for solar systems. The panels acquired will be integrated into a larger panel network that generates electricity sustainably; the buyer of these panels thus becomes a producer of electricity through renewable energy with the right to rental income. A minimum rental price is guaranteed when the contract is signed. However, upward rent adjustments are possible at any time. For example, when the price of electricity rises with inflation. The purchased solar panels can also be resold, inherited or given away at any time together with the rental agreement and the associated rental income.

    Another big advantage: so that solar panels and the projects work very efficiently, solar trackers are used whenever possible and in addition to the permanently installed PV area. With these, the panels are not permanently installed, but rotate according to the sun. This means that, for example, the morning and evening sun is also optimally used. Or discover the smallest gap in the cloud on a cloudy day and use it to generate electricity. This achieves an increase in production of an additional + 63% kWh on average. This in comparison to permanently installed solar panels.

    Energeek Group AG presents the projects for which solar panels can be purchased on its website. The buyer can decide for himself which project the acquired panels should be rented to. For example, a project on a horse farm and hotel in the Freiberge is currently on offer. There, the group, together with its certified partners, will set up photovoltaic systems on a planned area of 1,590 square meters and thus supply the hotel building infrastructure, neighbors, heat pumps and e-charging station(s) with electricity. A panel in this project currently costs a little more than CHF 900, the annual rental income is CHF 82.50. A respectable return.
    More information at www.energeek.biz

  • Multifunctional building boards reduce energy

    Multifunctional building boards reduce energy

    Multifunctional building panels made from fiberglass-polymer composites could significantly reduce the energy consumption of buildings. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Laboratory for Heat Technology for the Built Environment ( TEBEL ) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ). Such composite materials could become the most important building materials alongside concrete, steel and wood, according to a press release from EPFL.

    "With the current construction methods, each building element only fulfills a single function", the assistant professor at the EPFL faculty for architecture, civil and environmental engineering and TEBEL director, Dolaana Khovalyg, is quoted as saying. This is "out of date and labor-intensive and time-consuming". As a result, the conventional construction method is associated with a high proportion of bound energy. Alternative solutions are modular, prefabricated, multifunctional building elements. They could reduce the embodied energy of buildings.

    Engineers from TEBEL and the Composite Construction Laboratory have shown that panels made of fiberglass-polymer composites can be used as structural elements in buildings. The team has developed a system in which water circulates through the hollow structures and the panels become elements for underfloor heating. It is also possible to use the hollow cells for electrical lines and ventilation ducts. This would also improve the use of the building space.

    Computer simulations on a building in the EPFL Innovation Park have shown that the panels guarantee sufficient thermal efficiency and structural fire resistance. In addition, their construction offers the same room comfort as conventional underfloor heating. Because of the lower water temperature, it would use much less energy.

  • Empa proposes a plan for building renovation

    Empa proposes a plan for building renovation

    The Dübendorfer Urban Energy Systems Laboratory of the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) has developed measures to reduce the greenhouse gases of the 1.8 million buildings in the country. The laboratory wants to show what the appropriate steps are and in which order they should be taken, it says in a message . The goal is a decisive reduction in CO2 emissions for heating and cooling in order to achieve Switzerland's net zero target by 2050. If the ecological renovation of the building stock progressed at the current pace, it would take another 100 years, Empa calculates.

    Led by Kristine Orehounig, the researchers used data mining to divide all residential and commercial buildings in Switzerland into over 100 archetypes, depending on the year of construction, heating type, location and number of users. Then all of them were checked for their suitability for photovoltaics and connection to a heating network.

    According to Empa, this sorting work has shown that it is worthwhile to start renovating the roofs and windows of older buildings particularly quickly. This should be followed by the renovation of heating systems in almost all house types. It is important to replace fossil fuels as quickly as possible with photovoltaics on roofs and facades. The research team recommends generating heat using heat pumps and biomass heating. "If the proposed measures are taken," believes Kristine Orehounig, "the greenhouse emissions in Switzerland's existing building stock can be reduced by 60 to 80 percent".