If transport is to be greenhouse gas neutral in 2050, vehicles with alternative drive systems and new fuels that do not cause any climate-damaging emissions will have to be used in the future.

A current study of the German Öko-Institut in cooperation with the DVWG Research Unit at the EBI and INFRAS on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency now shows that the switch to electromobility performs best from an economic cost perspective in a direct comparison with other greenhouse gas-neutral drive and fuel options.

Overall, the additional costs of switching to electric vehicles are a good quarter lower for passenger cars and around half lower for long-distance trucks than for vehicles powered by electricity-based fuels such as methane, hydrogen or synthetic gasoline and diesel from imports. In their scenarios, the experts took into account the economic costs of purchasing the vehicles, setting up the refueling station and charging infrastructure, and supplying energy in the period from 2010 to 2050.

Energy supply makes the difference

According to the Öko-Institut, the most important component of the cost calculation is the provision of energy, i.e. the costs incurred for the production, transport and use of the fuels. Depending on the technology, up to the point of refueling, up to 50 percent more electricity is used for the production and distribution of electricity-based fuels from renewable energies than for electromobility. In addition, electric vehicles are about twice as energy-efficient as vehicles with internal combustion engines, even when driving. Together, these two factors drive up the cost of providing energy for electricity-based fuels.

"The direct use of electricity is the most cost-effective option for long-term greenhouse gas-neutral transport in both passenger and freight transport" explains Peter Kasten, mobility expert and project manager of the study at the Öko-Institut. "Admittedly, electromobility is still expensive today, mainly because of the high battery costs. But if the costs of electric vehicles come into line with those of other vehicle types in the medium to long term, the balance will be clearly in favor of electric vehicles."

Manageable costs for infrastructure conversion

This also applies to the additional costs for setting up the filling station and charging infrastructure. However, according to Kasten, these are much more manageable than is generally assumed, particularly in the expansion of electromobility: "The costs for the changeover in the energy infrastructure are significantly lower than a system change in the provision of energy and in vehicle drives." And: "At this point, politics and industry are called upon to set the course for the future. Because only with a sufficiently available and reliable charging infrastructure can electric vehicles survive on the market and play out their advantages in terms of energy costs."

This analysis applies to passenger transport as well as to road freight. According to the research team, for example, the additional economic costs in the period between 2010 and 2050 for electric overhead hybrid trucks are only half as high as for the other greenhouse gas-neutral options, despite the investments in overhead infrastructure on highways. Due to the high mileage of trucks, the cost benefits in energy provision are particularly pronounced for trucks. Direct electricity use is not available for air and marine transportation, and electricity-based fuels are an important climate mitigation option for these applications.

Source: Öko-Institut e.V., Berlin

"People don't talk about money" is an old saying. "Wrong," says Careerplus, an HR consultancy that regularly publishes salary studies to provide insights into the taboo subject of pay. The latest publication deals with the occupational group Sales. An occupational group that, with an average gross annual salary of 85,447 francs, earns around 15 percent more than the Swiss average in the second and third sectors of the economy (74,328 francs).

Where to earn the best in sales professions

Average salaries are highest in the Zurich region (CHF 89,890) and lowest in Ticino (CHF 72,886). Sales managers are the top earners, with an annual salary of 150,000 francs, while office clerks are at the bottom of the pay scale, with an annual salary of 71,500 francs. The two most important factors for salary development in sales professions are industry experience and product knowledge. An experienced product manager, for example, can earn up to 36 percent more than his inexperienced colleague. Foreign languages and further training also have a positive effect on salary levels. A sales manager with the relevant knowledge receives up to one-fifth more pay.

Is my salary in line with the market?

For the study, the HR consultancy Careerplus analyzed the dossiers of around 2,300 sales employees in the period from 2013 to 2015. The study not only provides comprehensive information on the gross annual salary for the relevant age and function categories in the area of sales, but also reveals the salary development potential in terms of training and further education, type of company and management span. On two double pages each, various sales job profiles - from clerk to salesperson to project manager - are examined. In order to determine the most meaningful salary range for a person with a specific profile, a salary calculation form is attached to the study. This allows candidates to see whether their salary demands are in line with the market, and it gives companies a comparative value for shaping wages.

Source: www.careerplus.ch

There are many reasons for companies to choose this method of corporate financing. On the one hand, a large number of investors can be addressed efficiently and in a coordinated manner in this way. On the other hand, a direct link between debtor and creditor is cost-efficient, as there are no high infrastructure costs for a branch network, for example. This has a positive effect on interest rates, among other things.

Investors on the other hand have the opportunity to invest in interesting Swiss companies, which is an attractive alternative to zero or even negative interest on a bank account. In order to professionally support investors in their decision-making process, each credit project is reviewed by the independent evaluation partner Euler Hermes (www.eulerhermes.ch). According to creditworld's own information, fair, transparent and understandable pricing as well as attractive contract conditions, unconditional customer focus with a high level of advisory competence and strict separation of appraisal and brokerage activities make up the recipe for success.

Large projects lead to rapidly increasing sales volume with high selectivity

In the course of the last ten months, according to the company, a loan volume of over 100 million Swiss francs has already been brought to the platform, with over 7 million Swiss francs successfully brokered. Further exciting projects are in the pipeline, it adds. The first repayments have also already been made.

By way of comparison, the Institute for Financial Services Zug (IFZ) estimates the total volume of all lending platforms at CHF 7.9 million in 2015. For 2016, IFZ predicted significant growth, particularly in the area of SME lending. The current market dynamics suggest that the IFZ forecasts will be confirmed and even exceeded. This, together with the increasing interest in SME financing from investors, makes us confident that peer-to-peer lending platforms will establish themselves as a complement to traditional credit financing channels.

With Nicolas Meier an experienced new partner on board

With the success of creditworld, the team has grown steadily in recent months. In addition, a third partner, Nicolas Meier, joined creditworld in the summer. Nicolas will support the team on both the strategic and operational side and, in addition to his main activities in the areas of business origination and credit screening, will continue to drive the institutionalization of creditworld. Nicolas previously spent 10 years in private equity at Partners Group, providing capital to small and medium sized companies and supporting management teams in the implementation of their entrepreneurial plans. He is therefore very familiar with the needs of creditworld's clientele and with his long experience as a buyside investment manager, he can further strengthen creditworld's expertise in the area of credit assessment and processing.

Source: www.creditworld.ch

After eleven years as General Manager of office furniture manufacturer Haworth Schweiz AG, Mark Helfenstein, General Manager Switzerland and Vice President Ideation Europe, has decided to take a step back professionally. He will reduce his workload at Haworth to 50% and in the future focus mainly on his role as Vice President Ideation Europe and member of the European Strategy Team.

Domenic Meier, joined Haworth on March 1, 2008. As Sales & Marketing Director, he was responsible for sales, customer service, marketing and various sales support departments. Mr. Meier knows Haworth and the Swiss office furniture market thus in the best way and is therefore excellently equipped, in order to ensure the success of the Haworth Switzerland AG also further, communicates the enterprise.

Haworth is a family-owned company based in Holland, Michigan/USA, and employs more than 6500 people worldwide. The company currently has a turnover of 1.82 billion US dollars. In Switzerland, the company employs around 100 people.

Source: www.haworth.ch

Despite continued uncertainty given the economic and business environment, European CFOs remain optimistic about their companies' growth potential in the coming year, according to the latest Deloitte European CFO Survey. The third quarter 2016 survey polled 1,148 CFOs in 17 European countries, including 111 in Switzerland, from Deloitte member firms.

Two-thirds (67%) of European CFOs said their companies face great financial and economic uncertainty, although the proportion of this group is slightly lower than in the first quarter (66%). In the UK and Germany, this perception is strongest at 88%, and weakest in Finland at 36%. In Switzerland, the percentage of CFOs registering high uncertainty is slightly lower than the European average at 63%. This figure has fallen by six percentage points since the first quarter as the exchange rate shock subsides peu à peu.

CFOs remain optimistic about sales growth

26% of CFOs are more optimistic about the financial outlook for their company than they were three to six months ago, a slight increase from 25% in the first quarter. In the UK, optimism is lowest following the Brexit referendum, at just 16%. The situation is assessed most positively by Swedish CFOs - 44% expressed confidence. In Switzerland, optimism is slightly above average at 27%.

Despite high uncertainty and low risk appetite, 65% of CFOs expect their companies' revenues to increase next year, up from 63% in Q1 2016 (Switzerland in Q3: 64%). 46% of UK CFOs expect revenue to increase, the lowest percentage of all countries. Polish CFOs were the most optimistic, with 83% expecting revenue growth.

Michael Grampp, Chief Economist at Deloitte in Switzerland: "Despite the difficult economic environment, CFOs are confident that their companies will weather the uncertainty and grow over the next twelve months. This is partly because companies have adapted better to the uncertain environment in which they have now been operating for some time. However, it also shows the resilience of the European corporate sector, which has faced sluggish growth and several shocks in recent years but is showing signs of a more sustained recovery this year. European GDP growth is expected to be 1.6% this year. While this is the third consecutive year of low growth for Europe, it is also the highest figure to date since the financial crisis."

Brexit and political risks

37% of CFOs said the negotiations over the British leaving the European Union will hurt their business, while 50% expect no impact. 5% believe the exit will have a positive impact. Negative sentiment is strongest in the U.K., with 65% believing that Brexit will hurt economic development. However, the impending Brexit is also causing concern among CFOs in Portugal (52%), the Netherlands and Ireland (48% each). In Switzerland, the mood is somewhat more optimistic, but 23% still express concern.

CFOs were also asked which aspects of a potential Brexit would most impact their companies. In response to this question, participants from 14 countries said that increasing complexity and regulatory costs would have the most serious impact. Restrictions on labor mobility and reduced export opportunities due to non-tariff trade barriers were also cited.

Overall, geopolitical and economic uncertainty was ranked by respondents in nine countries as the biggest risk factor for businesses in the year ahead, while weak domestic demand was cited as the biggest risk in four countries. Both factors are also seen with concern in Switzerland, while currency risk is mentioned most frequently and monetary risks and regulatory issues are also high on the list.

Michael Grampp comments: "Companies across Europe had to contend with various political shocks over the summer, which translated into a high level of uncertainty. Brexit is foremost among them. Over a third of European CFOs said that the negotiations for the British to leave the EU will have a negative impact on their company. Concerns around regulatory changes weigh the heaviest, but restrictions on labor mobility and export opportunities are also cited as risks for European companies."

"However, Brexit is not the only concern for Europeans. The political uncertainty felt to varying degrees in countries from Spain to Turkey, the upcoming elections in France and Germany, and now, of course, the outcome of the U.S. election are causing concern on corporate boardrooms."

Source: www.deloitte.ch

Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for new vans have decreased significantly. This can be explained, among other things, by the effect of the EU fleet target for light commercial vehicles. Under this, the fleet average of newly sold vehicles may emit a maximum of 175 grams of CO2 per kilometer from 2017, with a target value of 147 g/km applying from 2020. Although these fleet targets do not yet apply to Switzerland, Swiss van buyers will benefit from the fact that manufacturers are increasingly relying on more efficient engines.
In the categories of vehicles that achieve the highest rating of five stars in the van environmental list, there are mainly models with gas engines. These are the Fiat models Panda Van 0.9, Fiorino 1.4, Doblò Cargo 1.4, as well as VW Caddy 1.4, Opel Combo 1.4 and Piaggio Porter 1.3. Five stars is also achieved by the gasoline-powered Ford Transit Courier 1.0 SCTi.

The range of environmentally friendly electric delivery trucks is currently still modest. Nevertheless: The brands Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Nissan, Iveco and Piaggio offer a small selection of electric delivery trucks.

The van environmental list is the only environmental rating of its kind in Switzerland and takes into account the impact on climate, health and the environment. The emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important assessment criterion. The "Van Environmental List 2017" is available on the website www.lieferwagen-umweltliste.ch can be found as a pdf file. The interactive database of vans and minibuses is also available on the same website.

Source: TCS

Alternative Bank Switzerland (ABS) and Oikocredit are launching Switzerland's first regular savings account that enables Swiss bank clients to create direct social-ecological benefits in developing countries.

Savers deposit money with ABS on the Oikocredit support account one. As with any other account, the bank guarantees the security of the funds. As part of the partnership, ABS grants a loan in the amount of the invested funds to Oikocredit International, based in the Netherlands. The socially oriented investment cooperative uses the funds to finance partner organizations in more than 70 developing countries.

Thus, small loans to economically active people are made possible on site, renewable energies are promoted or financing is provided to smallholder cooperatives that produce, for example, fair trade food for their own market or for export to Switzerland. With over forty years of experience in this field, Oikocredit is one of the world's leading private institutions for financing sustainable development.

The study shows that awareness and rating are important factors in the choice of a particular guarantee and surety provider.

The Swiss surety market consists of banking and insurance markets, whereby the relationship with the bank is traditionally strongly anchored in Switzerland and enjoys broad acceptance. However, companies are increasingly turning to insurance companies as guarantors because they are more flexible in terms of conditions and contract design/wording, which is becoming more and more important. Internationally, the surety market is also dominated by banks in most countries, but insurers are increasingly emerging as competitive providers.

SML expects that increasing regulations such as Basel III and Solvency II will change the framework conditions for guarantees. As Solvency II will have a less serious impact on the insurance market, corresponding insurance solutions could become more attractive in the long term.

Compliance specifications with guarantees

In the course of 15 qualitative interviews with leading companies in the machinery, electrical and metal industry, SML found that internal group guidelines, such as compliance requirements, increasingly stipulate guarantees and sureties for certain transactions. Particularly in the supply industry, maintenance, retail trade and to some extent also in the capital goods industry, it is primarily the clients who demand a hedging instrument such as a guarantee or surety.

The study also shows that guarantees are mandatory above a certain project size. This is particularly true for large projects in the areas of infrastructure, energy and capital goods. Furthermore, international groups are more dependent on guarantees, whether because of internal guidelines, compliance requirements or because they are new customers with whom a relationship of trust must first be established. Therefore, the SML as well as the interviewed companies assume that the need for hedging instruments will tend to increase. However, guarantees represent a not insignificant cost item for Swiss companies.

Ratings important for clients

The study shows that awareness and rating are important factors in the choice of a particular guarantee and surety provider. Uncomplicated online conclusion and management solutions are just as much in demand as speed and completeness of the offer. Not to be forgotten, in addition to experience and expertise in consulting, is personal contact, which is highly valued.

Growth market with potential

According to SML, the surety market has grown steadily at around +6% between 2011 and 2014. Overall, 50% of the market is dominated by rental and construction bonds. Demand for surety bonds is highly dependent on the industry in question. SML expects that the increasing export orientation of Swiss SMEs will give a boost to the surety market.

To the complete study under this Link

Engagement Migros is promoting the Venture Kick program as part of a two-year pilot. This promotes innovative business ideas from all sectors from the early stages to the founding of a company. Since its establishment in 2007, Venture Kick has developed a very successful process based on empowerment, acceleration and a competitive selection process.

Innovation Center Switzerland

Engagement Migros facilitates pioneering projects in social change, since 2015 also in the area of business. The focus here is on strengthening Switzerland as a center of innovation and boosting digital value creation in Switzerland. As the first partner, Engagement Migros also supported the pilot implementation of the Kickstart Accelerator, which recently ended in Zurich.

The support fund is endowed by the companies of the Migros Group with approximately ten million Swiss francs annually and thus enables around 50 pioneering projects. Engagement Migros has supplemented the Migros Culture Percentage since 2012.

Venture Kick, an initiative of the Venture Kick Foundation, is funded by: Förderfonds Engagement Migros, Gebert Rüf Foundation, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Fondation ProTechno, Fondation Lombard Odier, Debiopharm Group, Rising Tide Foundation, ESA BIC Switzerland, André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss and Martin Haefner.

More details about funding programs can be found at www.venturekick.ch and www.engagement-migros.ch

The Energietal Toggenburg and its 12 communities are planning something big: by 2034, the energy consumed in the valley will be produced from renewable sources. The Toggenburg Energy Valley Association is already actively working towards this goal. With the project "Sustainable Energy Education" (NEB), it has introduced practical energy education for the next generation in the schools in Wattwil Krinau and Mosnang.

In his latest book "Globi and the Energy", Globi teaches children why the climate is changing and what they can do about it. The idea for the Globi book came from the Förderverein itself, which was also involved in implementing the content. The second cornerstone of the NEB project is visits to the so-called energy sites. At the waterfall in the Steintal valley or at the river power plant in Dreien near Mosnang, the children learn all about sustainable energy. "In this way, we create the basis for responsible action among children and young people and thus for the realization of our vision of an energy self-sufficient valley," says Thomas Grob, president of the sponsoring association. With this project, Energietal Toggenburg has well earned the prize money of CHF 50,000 for the main prize of the Zurich Climate Prize 2016.

Joachim Masur, CEO Zurich Switzerland: "It is exemplary how knowledge is anchored in a sympathetic way with Globi and linked in practice with examples from nature. We warmly congratulate the Förderverein Toggenburg and the Wattwil Krinau school community on this achievement."

Special Start-up Award: The Bendier the Better
The start-up "Zum guten Heinrich" recycles what is not available in the supermarket: crooked fruit and vegetables. From this, the young entrepreneurs create vegan and vegetarian catering menus for corporate and private events in the Zurich area. "In this way, we contribute to reducing the waste of resources and show people that non-conforming food is flawless and tasty," says Lukas Bühler, co-founder of the start-up. With the "No Waste" idea, the jury awarded "Zum guten Heinrich" with the special prize for start-ups with prize money of CHF 25,000.

Every October, EY Switzerland presents the coveted Entrepreneur Of The Year award at a glittering gala evening. This nationally and internationally recognized award honors the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs in our country. Roland Brack from Aargau is one of them. The founder of the Mägenwil-based online retailer BRACK.CH made it to the finalists in the service/retail category this year.

Brack did not quite manage to win the award. However, on October 28, 2016, he also received an award at a gala event at the Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne for his entrepreneurial work and his commitment both inside and outside his company. "Being a finalist was a great honor for me. Even if it wasn't enough to win in the end, I am very proud to be able to look back on a successful company history," explains Roland Brack.

The online specialist retailer BRACK.CH was recently awarded the Swiss Employer Award 2016 and the ICT Education and Training Award 2016.

http://www.brack.ch

Everyone is talking about digitization. But when it comes to processes between citizens and authorities, i.e. e-government, Switzerland is still lagging behind other countries. This has implications for the business location. In the 21st century, people want to work with government institutions efficiently, transparently, simply and, above all, electronically. The study published in June has now identified the politically and technologically relevant prerequisites for the implementation of the e-citizen dossier. This "eBürgerdossier" is an electronic platform for every person living in Switzerland. They can voluntarily store and change relevant data there and authorize other actors to access this data. This is intended to facilitate the exchange of data between individuals, companies and government bodies.

Digital official channels

In particular, it should be possible in the future for frequently performed administrative procedures, such as registration and deregistration when changing residence, to be handled more and more fully electronically. "SMEs should also be able to obtain permits online on a Saturday," said Martin Pletscher of economiesuisse, citing another possible requirement for e-government. Pletscher was on the discussion panel with National Councilor Kathy Riklin, Prof. Dr. Matthias Finger - who conducted the aforementioned study scientifically - and Renato Gunc, President of the eGov Switzerland association. The basic tenor on November 1 seemed unanimous: the focus of e-government should deliberately be on the digitization of everyday administrative processes. More far-reaching implementations, such as electronic voting, are not yet practicable at the moment.

900 million francs could be saved

If Martin Pletscher has his way, "digitization" does not simply mean moving the analog world to the Internet. When developing an electronic citizen's dossier, it must also be a matter of questioning existing regulations so that they can be dismantled if necessary. Prof. Finger also agreed: "The benefits of e-government lie in its efficiency and economic benefits. And digitization must be consistent: "You can't just leave an analog switch open at the same time," said Martin Pletscher, who warned against costly duplication in this context. In terms of costs, the study under discussion estimates the one-off implementation costs at around 300 million francs, while the annual savings amount to around 900 million. In return, "public services and political processes could be improved and the implementation of state policies facilitated," the study states.

"Don't farm fears"

In principle, the technological prerequisites would all be in place. But according to the eGov study, there are other main criteria that Renato Gunc also mentioned during the panel discussion:

• "The citizen is in the middle": citizens must remain owners of their data and information.
• "Transparency and trust": The state or a trusted partner must provide the e-citizen dossier. The information and sources as well as access to the data must be transparent.
• "Security": operators must be able to ensure data and information security.
• "Decentralized, but complete": The data can be managed decentrally and is only compiled during an application or query. All official and important administrative tasks should be able to be handled with the e-citizen dossier.

In addition, responsibility for the e-citizen dossier in the federal government must be assigned to a single department. After all, it is precisely Switzerland's federalist structure that makes the introduction of e-government difficult. Many communal and cantonal systems have emerged that are not compatible with each other. National Councilor Kathy Riklin called for an end to "cantonalism" during the discussion. And she appealed that the opportunities should be seen above all. "There is still too much simple management of fears," she noted.

Text: Thomas Berner / pd

More information on e-government and electronic citizen dossier: www.egov-schweiz.ch