The introduction of LEGO® bricks made from sugar cane is part of the LEGO Group's commitment to using sustainable materials for core products and packaging by 2030. Learn more about the LEGO Group's mission here: http://ots.de/4n6mDA

About LEGO elements from plants

Mr. and Mrs. Swiss and air traffic - actually a great marriage of convenience. According to a representative Population survey by the gfs-zürich research institute (.pdf), commissioned by the Swiss Energy Foundation SES, more than half of Swiss people have flown once or more in the last two years (56%). People with a high level of education and high incomes tend to fly frequently in particular. 24,850 kilometers - more than half a circumnavigation of the globe - were covered by the Swiss resident population per person in 2015. More than a third of this, 9000 km, was flown, almost 90 percent of it for private purposes, and the trend is increasing (Cf. Microcensus Mobility and Transport 2015, FSO).

Knowledge is not actionable

The gfs-zürich survey, which polled 1004 randomly selected people from German- and French-speaking Switzerland, shows that only just under a quarter (23%) of the Swiss population have refrained from air travel in the last two years for ecological reasons. This is despite the fact that a clear majority agrees with the statement that air travel heats up the climate (60%) and most state that they pay attention to climate-friendly actions in everyday life (54%). From these results, it is evident that there is a gap between awareness of the problem and implementation. Knowledge of the harmfulness of the climate is not enough to change individual behavior. Only a few people switch to more climate-friendly means of transport for the sake of the environment or head for a closer destination.

Multiple harmful emissions

emissions from air traffic count several times, because the exhaust gases have a much greater effect on the climate at this altitude than on the ground. Moreover, airplanes produce not only CO2, but also other greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides, soot and water vapor. The aviation industry and the scientific community disagree about how much more. Aerosuisse, the umbrella organization of the Swiss aerospace industry, assumes a Radiative Forcing Index (RFI) of 1.35. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assumes a higher factor, whereby the impact of the formation of cirrus clouds (contrails) is relatively uncertain, but has a major influence.

The German Federal Environment Agency takes this effect into account and assumes an RFI of 3 to 5. Many environmental associations, but also the well-known "climate compensation organization" myclimate, calculate a factor of 2.

By any measure, flying is the most climate-damaging means of mass transportation. Worldwide, it contributes around 5% to global warming. In Switzerland, the figure is as high as 18%. In contrast to other areas such as heating or road traffic, where CO2 emissions are decreasing, the curve for flying only goes in one direction: up.

Growth far exceeds efficiency gains. Although aircraft consumption can be reduced continuously, the climate footprint of civil aviation is getting worse every year. Simply because more and more aircraft are on the road.

Exempt from taxes and duties

One might think that this would put politicians on their guard. In reality, the opposite is the case: the airline industry is spared and promoted wherever possible. Value-added tax is payable on a train ticket - but not on airline tickets. Aviation kerosene is also exempt from the CO2 tax and the mineral oil tax levied on heating oil and fuels. And at the climate summit in Bonn, which ended last week, air travel was once again not an issue. Emissions from aircraft are not included in the climate negotiations.

Instead, the industry is relying on voluntary measures, which is not a good idea, as the CORSIA example shows. In October 2016, the UN aviation authority ICAO adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation - a fraudulent label. Emissions do not have to be reduced, but only partially offset. In concrete terms, only the increase in emissions from 2020 is affected, i.e. only a fraction of what is emitted. And this is still on a voluntary basis. CORSIA will not become binding until 2027, and even then there will still be exceptions (Cf. FLAB, a publication of the Swiss Protection Association against Aviation Emissions SSF, spring 2017.). This is clearly insufficient.

The end of voluntarism is desired and urgently needed

Political regulation is still largely lacking in air traffic. Yet there is no shortage of good ideas. One of them is the ticket levy: airline tickets are charged with a levy that depends on the length of the flight route. Various European countries, such as Germany and Great Britain, have had incentive systems of this kind for many years. Such a levy even meets with great approval among the population. In the "Univox Umwelt 2016" study by gfs-zürich, almost three quarters (72%) of respondents were in favor of such a measure.

With voluntary measures, air traffic emissions will continue to increase instead of decrease. Without a massive regulatory intervention, most simply via the price, Mr. and Mrs. Swiss will not be dissuaded from reaching their vacation destinations by air. Of course, education about the causes and consequences of climate change remains important. This is how the population's high level of approval for appropriate measures can be maintained. But knowledge about climate change will only stop very few people from continuing to fly far too much.

Survey by gfs-zürich on behalf of SES
The representative population survey was conducted by gfs-zürich, Markt- und Sozialforschung on behalf of SES. From October 9 to 28, 2017, 1004 people in German- and French-speaking Switzerland aged 18 and over were surveyed by means of telephone interviews. " The survey results in detail (pdf)

The Lean & Green initiative awards the Lean & Green Award to companies that commit to climate protection with an action plan. If the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent within five years is demonstrably achieved, certification with the prestigious Lean & Green Star beckons in a second stage. CHEP is the main sponsor of the initiative and also plays a pioneering role in the logistics industry. This is because sustainability and the principle of a circular economy are firmly anchored in CHEP's corporate goals.

"As the world's leading pooling provider, we are delighted that Lean & Green is now also being rolled out in Switzerland. The initiative gives Swiss companies the opportunity to make an individual contribution to environmental protection, which CHEP is happy to support as the main sponsor. Our business model of load carrier pooling is sustainable in itself and represents a holistic approach. CHEP has been following this principle of 'share and reuse' for many years. That's why we have the necessary expertise to support the initiative's participants in achieving their climate goals," says Anita Kaufmann, Country Leader at CHEP Switzerland.

In the coming year, CHEP is planning various activities in collaboration with GS1 Switzerland to promote the Lean & Green initiative and sustainability awareness in the supply chain.

CHEP pooling and transport collaboration: simply intelligent

In Switzerland, pooling expert CHEP moves several thousand blue load carriers every day. According to the principle of "renting instead of buying," customers only pay for the pallets in circulation at any given time. CHEP organizes the return of the load carriers as well as their cleaning and maintenance or replacement. Even when the economy is at its peak, the company ensures constant availability of load carriers with consistent quality. With 120 million pallets in circulation and 220 service centers in Europe alone, CHEP offers its customers unparalleled reach for cross-border deliveries. Using CHEP pallets not only helps companies make their supply chain more efficient. By pooling and recycling the pallets, they simultaneously reduce their environmental footprint by reducing their CO2 emissions, wood consumption and waste generation.

In addition to load carrier pooling, CHEP offers a range of supply chain solutions for the multi-faceted issues along the entire value chain, from cost optimization and efficiency enhancement to quality assurance. For example, the transport collaboration program offers customers the opportunity to combine their transports with those of CHEP or other customers to make the best use of load space and avoid empty runs. Customers can thus share their transports and, for example, use empty transports from other CHEP customers for their own freight. This transport orchestration is made possible by special matching software developed by CHEP, which compares the 225,000 transport routes and 13.5 million delivery agreements in the CHEP database to tap synergy potential.

In Germany, CHEP is one of the founding members of the Lean & Green Initiative. Since May 2013, Christophe Campe, VP Chep Europe First Mile Solutions & European Key Accounts, has been an ambassador for Lean & Green in Europe. CHEP has received the Lean & Green Award and the Lean & Green Star several times in Europe to date, underpinning its transition to CO2-free logistics.

You can find more information about CHEP at www.chep.com

The alliance members of the "Wärme Iniative Schweiz" agree: With the vote on the Energy Strategy 2050 on May 21, 2017, the goal of a sustainable energy supply based on renewable energies has not yet been achieved.

Goals and vision
Alongside mobility, heat consumption accounts for the largest share of energy demand in Switzerland. 45 percent of energy consumption is used for space heating and water heating. The Swiss building stock consumes around 100 TWh per year and thus accounts for 50 percent of all CO₂-emissions. Heating accounts for 75 percent of this demand. Currently, 50 percent of this is covered by heating oil and 25 percent by natural gas (all figures estimated by the SFOE for the period 2010-2015). The SFOE's vision is to reduce this consumption to 55 TWh per year by 2050. In addition, no heating oil, natural gas or electricity should be used for direct consumption for heating (with any exceptions). District heating networks are to be supplied with more than 80 percent waste heat or renewable energies by 2025. By 2050, renewable energies are to be used to cover as much of the energy demand as possible throughout the year. Networks should not only be able to supply energy, but also to absorb it, depending on decentralized production.

The road is still long
Although the share of renewable energies in the heating sector for households has doubled since 1990, their share of total consumption is still only 17.6 percent. This is despite the fact that the necessary technologies are already available and established. Geothermal energy is an important cornerstone here. In order to make the energy supply fit for the future, urgent action must be taken. With the alliance "Wärme Initiative Schweiz", the forces from industry, associations and science are joining forces to achieve the desired goals and measures for renewable and efficient heating and cooling supply in the future totally revised CO₂-The aim is to anchor the energy sector in the Energy Act, the Spatial Planning Act and the Model Cantonal Energy Ordinances (MuKEn). This requires a suitable political framework and active market development.

The time is ripe
The time is ripe to push for the creation of the necessary framework conditions with the "Wärme Initiative Schweiz". The consultation on the revision of the CO₂-The discussions on the revision of the Renewable Heat Act have begun in the National Council's advisory committee. The MuKEn 2014 are currently being implemented in the cantons of Bern, Graubünden, Lucerne and Solothurn, and the dispatch on the revision of the Spatial Planning Act will follow in 2018. Renewable heat supply is not only possible, but also more economical.

"Heat Initiative Switzerland
The goals of the "Wärme Initiative Schweiz" are in detail:

• Combining the forces of the renewable and efficient heating industry
• Tangible impulses for politics, society, users
• Consideration of the concerns in the relevant laws and regulations
• Use of the revision of the CO₂-Act, implementation of the MuKEn and revision of the Spatial Planning Act as an opportunity for raising awareness and (political) appreciation of thermal energy.
• Optimization of the political framework/rules of the game in the Swiss heating market
• Commitment to a sustainable breakthrough of renewable heat generation and efficient heat use
• Significant contribution to the implementation of the energy strategy and the achievement of climate targets

The "Wärme Initiative Schweiz" will develop a joint commitment under the umbrella of AEE Suisse. At the kick-off meeting on January 25, 2018, a first commitment was made by the participants and the basic principles, goals and To Dos were defined. At a further meeting, the alliance's commitment will be finalized and the goals of the "Wärme initiative Schweiz" will be defined. A heating strategy will be developed and an action program will be launched. Geothermal Switzerland will be involved. Geothermal energy has enormous potential for the efficient supply of renewable heating and cooling. (Source: geothermie-schweiz.ch)

http://geothermie-schweiz.ch

The environmental technology trade fair IFAT 2018 will once again show how important the resource water is. Water is used in beverage and food production as an ingredient as well as for manufacturing, cleaning, and hygiene. The starting points for the exhibitors from the water, wastewater and recycling sectors gathered at the trade fair are as diverse as the possible applications. This starts with pumps, which traditionally form one of the largest product groups at IFAT. Many of the beverage and food companies pump their water from their own wells. Here, as in numerous other production and cleaning processes, reliable, efficient, hygienic, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient transport of the medium is essential.

Regulations, such as the Drinking Water Ordinance or the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance, define how water must be conditioned so that it can be used for the production of beverages and foodstuffs. To this end, interfering or harmful substances must be safely removed from the pumped water stream. In the case of brewing water, for example, these are mainly hydrogen carbonates, nitrates and, under certain circumstances, pesticides. Reverse osmosis can be used to eliminate them. Other membrane processes with many variants are also proving their worth in the food and beverage industry. For example, membrane degassing can be used to efficiently remove dissolved oxygen from brewing water or the blending water required in juice production. This prevents oxidation processes in the products. Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH, for example, is one of the internationally active plant manufacturers who can select the appropriate solution from a whole range of technologies - ion exchange, reverse osmosis, membrane processes or electrodeionization.

www.ifat.de

Prices lie. Isn't it great that we only have to spend a fraction of our income on food? Everything is so nice and cheap at Aldi, Edeka & Co. But what if the prices are only so low because the costs are passed on - to the environment, other countries, future generations? Or what if the costs end up back at us through the back door because health care costs are rising or water has to be treated more and more expensively?

Then it is time to act, because only when the follow-up costs of conventionally produced food are made visible, the system will be fair again. And if the prices finally tell the truth, "normal" would suddenly be much more expensive than "organic". Then we would automatically buy what is best for us and our environment.

The book aims to harness and fuel the momentum of the discussion. The contributions (Reading sample) provide a comprehensive overview of the many aspects of the issue, offer well-founded criticism, but also point out concrete possible solutions, such as suitable communication strategies.

Bernward Geier: "The prices lie - Why cheap food costs us dearly" (oekom verlag Munich 2018) is available in German. here

Amici Caffèe is committed to sustainable coffee from the coffee flower to the cherry to the farmer. (Image: Illy Caffèe)Francesco Illy, founder and owner of Amici Caffè, is confirmed in his vision: "Sustainability is a matter close to our hearts. Being awarded 'World's Most Ethical Company' for the sixth time in a row shows that our efforts are designed for the long term," says the long-time coffee enjoyment ambassador with foresight. "We are pleased and honored to receive the award again in 2018. However, we will not rest on our laurels, but will continue to drive our sustainable commitment."

Sustainable from the field to the cup

Since 2007, the Ethisphere Institute based in New York, received the "World's Most Ethical Company" award. The certified companies emphasize transparency, diversity and integrity. Amici Caffè's award-winning sustainable commitment includes, for example, the SEKEM project: Since 2012, the company, headquartered in Steinhausen near Cham, has been planting trees in the Egyptian desert to offset all the carbon dioxide emitted during the life cycle of its products. In the last five and a half years, Amici Caffè has planted around 11,000 trees. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide, the trees also provide fertile soil, the cultivation of which in turn creates jobs.

Independent prices

Furthermore, Amici Caffè has been sourcing coffee beans directly from coffee farmers since 1990, guaranteeing them profitable prices that are independent of market fluctuations. The farmers thus receive a secure income. "Everyone benefits from this direct cooperation: it has led to better working conditions and a higher quality of life for the coffee farmers, while at the same time improving the quality of the coffee," says Francesco Illy, explaining a cornerstone of Amici Caffè's sustainable commitment. "We want to set a good example and motivate our customers to be more environmentally conscious in their consumption. The award as 'World's Most Ethical Company' spurs us on to continue our commitment."

https://www.amici.ch/de/

The Ethisphere Institute and the honored companies

The Ethisphere Institute, which awards the World's Most Ethical Company designation, is a global leader in identifying and advancing the most authoritative ethical business practices. The World's Most Ethical Company award is based on Ethisphere Institute's Ethics Quotient (EQ), which provides a quantitative assessment of corporate performance. The award is given to companies that stand out for their sustainable and responsible efforts.

• Ethisphere Institute: ethisphere.com
• All honored companies: worldsmostethicalcompanies.ethisphere.com/honorees

The ZHAW study on "Shared Mobility", i.e. sharing vehicles in public, is very revealing. There are new trends such as the public distribution of scooters in European cities and there is also movement in car sharing. After popular larger providers like Uber went "out of the window" in the summer of 2017 because Swiss legislation rigorously put the kibosh on the new type of transportation service Uber Pop, some new networked vehicle types did rattle into cities like Zurich. Here, however, providers find themselves on hard ground in terms of the ever-increasing supply side of bicycles, scooters and scooter or small vehicles.

The more offers there are, the lower dhe prices, underlines - briefly summarized - the current study. For the third year in a row, ZHAW students in the Transportation Systems program conducted the "Shared Mobility" study and investigated existing sharing concepts in the field of mobility in seven European cities for this purpose. The results from Zurich, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vienna and Barcelona show that the growth of the sharing economy continued last year and led to further changes.

Bike flood is followed by scooters
"After last year's focus was on peer-to-peer services (P2P) - i.e. car sharing among private individuals - this year's study also examines scooter sharing," explains Thomas Sauter-Servaes, head of the Transportation Systems program at the ZHAW School of Engineering. In this model, scooters are offered for sharing in the same way as bicycles. Scooter sharing is experiencing rapid growth, according to the ZHAW study. Scooters are already particularly popular in Berlin and Paris. There is no such service in Zurich yet. There are large price differences between the providers. In contrast to bike sharing, the costs are still far higher than for public transport.

Bike sharing in transition
In bike sharing, major changes took place in 2017 due to the market entry of new providers. "The fleet sizes grew massively in some cases," says student Sandro Dünki, who managed the project together with Marc Aeberhard. "The aggressive expansion strategy of the mostly Asian providers surprised policymakers in various cities." Zurich, for example, gained three new providers compared to last year. The number of rental bikes there has increased by more than 200 percent to a total of 1055. The bikes from these new providers can generally be parked freely and are not tied to fixed stations. "This kind of sharing only became possible thanks to modern technologies and an almost universal spread of smartphones," says Aeberhard. This is because the prerequisite for using such a service is being able to locate and unlock the bikes at any time of day.

Vibrant Car-Sharing market
The use of Car-Sharing services in major European cities continues to be on trend. The study shows that the number of vehicles is generally increasing and the prices of all car-sharing providers have fallen. "Prices vary widely, so it's worth comparing different providers," Dünki said. The offers of the large providers were slightly cheaper overall. In Zurich, however, there is still only one provider. And public transport is still significantly cheaper than car sharing in most cities.

"The market is quite lively: New providers are joining, others are disappearing from the scene," explains Aeberhard. In addition, the difference between car sharing and P2P sharing has narrowed further, but car sharing among private individuals remains cheaper. In addition, the P2P sharing industry is still on the upswing. More and more people are offering their vehicle on a sharing platform. In most of the cities surveyed, the offer is particularly attractive for a longer rental period compared with traditional car rental.

Downloads of further charts and information from the study can be found at here