ETH Zurich, Switzerland

VISION 2030 – Ideas for a transition towards a more sustainable university at ETH Zurich

The Vision 2030 - Ideas for a transition towards a more sustainable university at ETH Zurich (ETH) is a holistic white paper for sustainable university development at ETH Zurich proposed by students. It covers 7 main topics, namely a strategy to net zero, education, student participation, infrastructure, food, mobility, and finance. For each topic, a sustainable future is envisioned, and contrasted to the Status Quo at ETH Zurich. Concrete suggestions for measures and inspiring examples from other institutions offer a rich set of ideas on how the transition to a more sustainable ETH could look like and will enable us to take steps towards bridging the gap between the vision and the status quo.

The purpose of this paper is therefore to define the opportunities at ETH towards sustainability from a student perspective, to provide a basis for involving students in decision-making processes regarding sustainability, and to serve as inspiration for ETH‘s decision-makers and future students engaging in sustainability.

Top 3 Learnings

1. We gained invaluable teamwork, project structuring, and networking experience while shaping a compelling sustainability vision.
2. Collaborating in an inclusive process can unite all stakeholders behind a common goal.
3. Our bottom-up initiative has changed our University's future, so dare to start your projects!