Contours of Change: A new & interactive communication setting

How to make circular behaviours irresistible?
10R ¨C Which level of the R-Strategy for circularity are you aiming at?

In the Anthropocene, not only are social and biogeochemical systems changing at an unprecedented rate, also the mass of human-made (non-living) objects now exceeds the total natural biomass on Earth. Bold transformative measures are needed to address the associated challenges, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, and promoting sustainable consumption and production.

In its ¡®Institutional Priorities 2025-2036¡¯ published in January 2025, ETH Zurich formulates its ambition to become ¡®a champion and living lab for all-scope decarbonisation and circular economy¡¯ by 2036. In its operations, characteristics of a circular economy are increasingly being taken into account, particularly related to the construction and operation of laboratory buildings and in construction projects. For example, ETH Zurich contributed to the external page Green Lab position paper ¡®Circular Economy in the Laboratory¡¯ by external page Greenlab.ch, is a member of the external page Charter for Circular Construction, and implements measures such as the use of waste heat from server rooms or the use of rainwater as cooling water. It also operates technology platforms, including ETH Zurich's own TechPool.

Chairs such as the Professorships for Sustainable Construction or Circular Engineering for Architecture offer specialised courses such as the Master in Integrated Building Systems or the CAS ETH in Regenerative Building Materials. With the Professorship in Sustainability and Technology and the Circular Economy research group, as well as the Sustainability in Business Lab (sus.lab) as a ¡®think and do tank¡¯, exist close links to other research consortia, industry and the public administration. Events such as the KOF Economic Forum 2025 on 11 September 2025 on the topic of ¡®Circular Economy in Switzerland ¨C Potential, Obstacles and Political Consequences¡¯ offer opportunities for insights into the latest research projects and studies, as well as for networking.

How does AI make a real difference in your operations?
Do you know your digital twin?

ETH Zurich has a significant energy consumption with over 25,000 students and more than 10,000 members of staff studying, researching and working across more than 200 buildings. The Engineering and Systems (E&S) division ensures a secure and economical energy supply for ETH Zurich, while taking into account the organisation's net zero goals. Through continuous increases of energy efficiency and application of advanced technologies such as the anergy grid, photovoltaics, and heat pumps, ETH Zurich is on track to rely on only climate-friendly energy sources from 2030 onwards. In the new ETH Digital Twin programme, ETH Zurich is developing a digital twin of its campus infrastructure by the end of 2028 ¨C from buildings to technical facilities. The digital twin will serve as a basis for an efficient use of resources and sustainable campus development as part of a connected and data-driven organisation.

The Energy Science Center (ESC) is bridging research, education and outreach across departments and research fields of ETH Zurich to answer the energy challenges of today and tomorrow. The ESC aims to facilitate the deployment of an environmentally friendly, reliable, low risk, economically viable and socially compatible sustainable energy system.

Moreover, ETH Zurich is also heavily involved in research about artificial intelligence (AI) with the ETH AI Center as an interdisciplinary hub aiming to lead the way towards trustworthy, accessible, and inclusive AI systems for the benefit of society. Among others, the ETH AI Center is fostering a merge of technological advancements with environmental conservation through one of its core research areas AI for Good & Sustainability. In addition, bottom-up initiatives such as the annual external page AI + Environment Summit aim to make use of advancements in AI to address sustainability challenges.

How to build responsible supplier relationships?
How do you integrate sustainability criteria into your purchasing decisions?

Due to the wide range of research activities, ETH Zurich purchases a diverse variety of goods, ranging, e.g., from IT equipment, scientific apparatus, chemicals, to construction services. A specific Guide for Sustainable Procurement helps purchasing managers to seek for goods and services and to implement building projects that are economical, environmentally friendly, without adverse health implications, and produced in a socially responsible way. For large procurement projects, ETH Zurich requires the use of sustainable award criteria.

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions from procurement constitute a significant part of the overall emissions of ETH Zurich. Within the ETH Net Zero Programme unfolds a project on low-emission procurement with the goal to reduce scope 3 emissions by at least 20% until the year 2030. Supplier engagement is an important tool on the path to reach this goal. Information from suppliers helps us to better understand the procurement emissions, e.g., by considering supplier specific emission factors. Additionally, direct engagement with large suppliers can directly impact our emission footprint. In this context, it is important to build trust-based and long-lasting relations with suppliers. Due to the large number of suppliers at ETH Zurich, we believe efficient digital tools are a key to supplier engagement.

How do you transform routines in your organisation?
When does the sustainability spark spill over to the 'occupied'?

At ETH Zurich, our approach to sustainability communication and community engagement is guided by our vision and mission: fostering a culture of responsibility and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through collaboration, dialogue, and action. Building on our first Net-Zero campaign, Precious Resources, where we created new engagement formats and immersive exchange spaces, we continue to explore innovative ways of sparking dialogue. With initiatives like our new interactive game Contours of Change - which can pop up indoors or outdoors in unexpected places - we aim to make sustainability tangible and relatable, letting the spark spill over to the 'occupied'.

We strive to create tranformative change towards more sustainable behaviour by addressing both individuals and the community as a whole. We do not point fingers; instead, we ask questions, raise awareness, and encourage reflection. This happens through diverse formats, from a student external page peer-to-peer video on sustainable travel experiences to co-designed stop-motion-films about external page upcycling materials with our internal and external partners. In addition, we regularly exchange ideas on our sustainability communication approach,  for example, within the International Alliance of Research Universities (external page IARU), the International Sustainable 365ÌåÓý¹ÙÍø_365ÌåÓý±¸Óá¾ÊÖ»úÔÚÏß¡¿ Network (external page ISCN), and locally the external page University of Zurich, the external page Zurich University of the Arts and on platforms such as Sustainable Switzerland.  

What is your approach to sustainability reporting? 
How do you ensure data quality and handle uncertainties?

Since publishing its last standalone sustainability report in 2021, ETH Zurich is integrating various sustainability topics directly in its annual report. Additional sustainability data, e.g., on energy consumption, gastronomy, and mobility, are available in the Facts & Figures section on the ETH Sustainability website. Reports and studies considering aspects of social sustainability, in particular diversity, inclusion, and equality are provided by ETH Diversity. We are actively shaping the future of sustainability reporting at universities within the working group on sustainability reporting within the external page networksustainability@swissuniversities and within a external page working group of the International Sustainable 365ÌåÓý¹ÙÍø_365ÌåÓý±¸Óá¾ÊÖ»úÔÚÏß¡¿ Network (ISCN).

Within the ETH Net Zero Programme, annual all-scope emission reporting is an important aspect to verify the impact of measures taken and assess the path to net zero. We have relied on a spend-based approach to get on overview of the overall emissions at ETH and are continuously improving the methodology to include a larger part of activity-based computations, which are generally more accurate and allow us to deduct concrete measures. In this context, it is a challenge to engage with our large number of suppliers to get more detailed information regarding the carbon impact of our procurements. Generally, we aim to transparently communicate our methodology to assess our greenhouse gas emissions and our related challenges.

What changes have you implemented to reduce emissions from business travel? 
Which trade-offs do you encounter when aiming for more sustainability in business travel?

Business travel, particularly air travel, is an important part of academic life. Conferences, fieldwork, and international collaborations help advance science and connect researchers across borders. At the same time, flights account for a considerable portion of ETH Zurich¡¯s greenhouse gas emissions ¨C and are an area where individual choices can make a real difference. Reducing these emissions is therefore an essential step on the path to net zero.

ETH Zurich has been addressing this challenge for several years. Since 2017, the Air Travel Project has been collecting data, developing data dashboards, piloting measures, and supporting constructive dialogue. The topic of business travel has also been integrated into the ETH Net Zero Programme through the transformative project 'Low-emission Business Travel', further anchoring the topic in the institution¡¯s decarbonization efforts. The goal is to half emissions by 2030 while maintaining ETH¡¯s international excellence. 

To achieve this, ETH is working on promoting clearer, institution-wide rules for low-emission travel, awareness-building through data dashboards and communication campaigns, and incentives to make sustainable choices easier. When flights are unavoidable, lower-footprint options are encouraged, for example travelling in economy, combining trips, or extending stays to reduce the overall number of journeys.

The goal is not to stop air travel altogether but to make it more mindful by balancing ETH Zurich¡¯s sustainability ambitions with the need for global academic exchange.