Infras said in a statement that its efforts modelled a goal set by the canton of Zurich to reduce CO2 emissions to 2.2 tonnes per resident per year by 2050. The research and consulting firm has defined opportunities to further reduce its CO2 footprint in order to meet the challenges of a service company.
According to its latest environmental report, the emissions savings were accomplished to a large extent by reducing air travel distances for business trips. Despite these efforts, air travel was still responsible for 40 per cent of Infras’ greenhouse gas emissions. While the Zurich-based company believes there is room for improvement here, it sees less flexibility when it comes to its heating and electricity needs as these are bound to an office building. Its heating needs in Zurich even increased by 7 per cent. Electricity consumption also went up. Infras has yet to find an explanation for this.
Solar energy production at its Zurich office increased strongly by 21 per cent, and its photovoltaic panels now produce around 20,000 kilowatt hours per year. The rise in production last year was due to the higher number of hours of sunshine.