Wooden flooring manufacturer Bauwerk turns 90, having developed from an adhesive manufacturer into an international specialist in the wooden flooring industry. More than 60 per cent of its floor coverings are produced at its headquarters in the canton of

The amount of wood harvested in Switzerland has decreased for the second year in a row, particularly in private forests and in logs and trunk wood. In contrast, the assortment of wood chips continued to grow. Overall, the financial situation of forestry operations

Underfloor heating can do more than just heat. In combination with a suitable heat pump, it becomes a quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly cooling solution in summer. The article shows how active and passive systems work, where their limits lie and what is important when

Post-doctoral student Edoardo Pezzulli has developed software at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) that makes it possible to monitor and optimise the safety of carbon dioxide storage in reservoirs. He founded the start-up Storra for this

The former Legler site in Diesbach is being given a new perspective. Hochdruckkraftwerk Diesbach AG is taking over the site and planning sustainable development. The municipality of Glarus Süd is making a strategic investment and securing land reserves. A project with potential for energy, housing

The Green Spin construction project in Winterthur has started with the dismantling of the former Stewi headquarters in Winterthur-Grüze with a focus on recycling. The fully sustainable service building was initiated and planned by Felix Partner Architektur

The flooring manufacturer Tarkett has developed a recyclable linoleum collection. The recently launched Lino Materiale series is made from cork, is low-noise and easy to

Serial construction promises speed, cost benefits and CO₂ savings, key answers to the housing shortage. Although the technology has long since matured, the process is still making slow progress in Germany. What are the causes? An analysis of progress, system hurdles and cultural

A TU Vienna spin-off is revolutionising construction with wood. Using an intelligent grid system, complex 3D shapes can be constructed from flat wooden elements. This not only opens up new architectural possibilities, but also sustainable, efficient construction methods using regional

The Basel-based energy supplier IWB has acquired Senero AG. By acquiring the solar specialist, IWB intends to expand its position in the field of renewable

A new international study, published in the journal Nature, systematically analyses over 16,000 chemicals in plastics. It reveals how many of them are harmful to human health and the environment and shows concrete ways in which the plastics industry can become safer and more transparent in

Flughafen Zürich AG is building an underground energy centre to reduce the company's own emissions. A seasonal energy storage facility in an ice-age glacier channel and a low-temperature network are also

The latest issue of Zürcher Umweltpraxis und Raumentwicklung clearly shows that the commitment to climate and environmental protection is bearing fruit. The Canton of Zurich takes its responsibility for the climate and environment seriously. With ambitious goals, concrete measures and a clear view

Switzerland wants to be climate-neutral by 2050 and at the same time phase out nuclear energy. To meet this dual challenge, a massive expansion of photovoltaics and wind power is needed. A new report by the EDGE research consortium shows in several studies how this transition could succeed. What

Building densification is progressing in the five largest Swiss urban centres. New flats are being built on brownfield sites and through replacement construction, often at the expense of lower-income households. A recent ETH study shows how the housing market in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and

SENS eRecycling and Swissolar from Zurich have completed the Swiss PV Circle project together with the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The aim was to promote the reuse of photovoltaic modules. The partners formulated political recommendations, market analyses and created practical

The city of Zurich is planning to replace the disused Hagenholz recycling centre with a new recycling centre. The building is designed as a pilot project for circular construction. The city intends to invest 33.1 million Swiss francs in the project. The voters will decide on the

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is a new generation of long-term storage systems. Underground compressed air systems such as the AirBattery could secure the power supply efficiently, economically and in an environmentally friendly manner, even during dark doldrums. Thanks to technical

How can construction be designed in such a way that materials are not consumed but reused? This question is at the centre of the Circular Time Lab at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Architecture students and apprentices from regional timber construction companies are using reusable

In the first half of 2025, solar power generation reached new highs across Europe, especially in Germany. At the same time, a windless spring led to a decline in wind power figures. Despite growing photovoltaic output, the share of renewable energies in German net electricity generation fell

Aventron AG and energieUri AG have started construction of the first alpine solar plant in Central Switzerland. The photovoltaic plant in Spiringen will produce around 12.5 gigawatt hours of solar power per year from 2029. This year, 10 per cent of the plant is to be put into

The Stadtwerk Winterthur climate fund has awarded CHF 70,000 in funding for regional climate protection, energy efficiency and CO2 reduction projects. This year's beneficiaries are Next Gas GmbH from Kloten ZH, the Soily association from Winterthur and the start-up SimpleTrain from Wallisellen

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) are developing an organic material that binds carbon dioxide from the air and uses it to form biomass and solid minerals. It consists of a hydrogel containing blue-green

The Canton of Zurich's Vocational Training Fund has established itself as a mainstay of the dual education system. With over CHF 23 million, it supports training companies, promotes practical innovations and contributes to securing skilled labour. The 2024 annual report impressively demonstrates

Empa receives the prestigious Building Award 2025 for a pioneering concrete process. With the help of biochar pellets, the building material is not only climate-friendly, but also actively stores CO₂. The award-winning development is an example of a profound change in the construction industry

The Interreg project Walz 4.0 is creating an ambitious model for sustainable construction in the four-country region of Lake Constance. Under the leadership of the ZHAW, craftsmanship expertise, academic knowledge and digital technologies are being combined. The aim is a building culture that

A research team at ETH Zurich has developed a novel, 3D-printable building material that stores carbon dioxide not only in biomass, but also in the form of mineral compounds. The gel with embedded cyanobacteria could transform façades into living carbon reservoirs in the future and thus radically

The canton of Basel-Stadt is currently trialling new furniture for Basel's meeting zones. CO2-neutral and cement-reduced concrete is being tested for the production of benches and plant troughs. The aim is to make the meeting zones as climate-friendly as

A research team at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is looking for cement formulations that reduce CO2-intensive clinker in cement mixtures. The researchers used a modelling method supported by artificial intelligence

HORTUS, a new type of office building that focuses on radical sustainability, from construction to operation, has opened in Allschwil. The project is part of the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area and combines CO₂ reduction, circular economy and user comfort. The space is already almost fully