Zukunftsblog

A sustainable transition to a climate-friendly and biodiversity-rich Switzerland is only possible if we tackle the energy transition, climate change mitigation and biodiversity loss together. This will not be easy, but it is worthwhile and ultimately indispensable, says Reto Knutti.

While living matter can advance technology and render human activities more efficient and eco-friendly, the way in which we currently fabricate materials containing living cells is far from sustainable. Miriam Filippi calls us to rethink our biofabrication practices.

EPFL and ETH Zurich Presidents Martin Vetterli and Joël Mesot consider high tuition fees as in the English-speaking world to be the wrong approach to improving the financial situation of the two universities. Students should be seen as success factors for our country and not as cash cows.

Ahead of the vote on the biodiversity initiative, basic insights on the state of biodiversity and habitats in Switzerland are being discussed controversially. Loïc Pellissier counters by holding up the scientific consensus.

Southern Europe is currently battling a heat wave. Jan Carmeliet explains how cities can tackle the summer heat. It is a balancing act that calls for finely tuned measures.

Despite a wet and grey June, summers in Switzerland are getting hotter than expected. The increased summer temperatures harbour risks that we are not well prepared for, says Dominik Schumacher.

The war in Ukraine is also a war for soil. Sebastian Dötterl, Professor for Soil Resources at ETH Zurich explains what makes Ukrainian soil so valuable and why it will become even more geopolitically significant.

Despite digitalisation being a mainstay in many areas of life, the healthcare sector is lagging behind. Jörg Goldhahn explains what the medical field can learn from banks and travel companies.

The federal government has plans to tax electric vehicles to secure funding for road infrastructure. However, a new levy could delay the switch to electromobility. Alessio Levis explains how this dilemma could be resolved.