Energy and architecture: A little lightness as an antidote to the heaviness of the world
Raphaël Ménard recounts in his book "Vers la légèreté" how available resources determine the forms of architecture and planning. Interview.
Raphaël Ménard recounts in his book "Vers la légèreté" how available resources determine the forms of architecture and planning. Interview.
"Since our share of global greenhouse gas emissions is only one thousandth, our efforts would be doomed to remain insignificant. This argument expresses not a logical reasoning, but an attitude of defiance and denial," regrets René Longet, an expert in sustainable development.
Citing Nicholas Stern and his report on the economics of climate change, Dominique Bidou, the author of "Recivilisation", reminds that "action against global warming makes it possible to avoid expenditures at least five times greater than the initial cost."
"It is neither fair nor constructive to pit technologies against each other in a supposed race for funding: it's a false debate," says Eric Plan, secretary-general of the CleantechAlps association.
As this Thursday marks the official creation of a Swiss entity of the World Sufficiency Lab, we revisit the question of sufficiency with its cofounder and director, Yamina Saheb.
Let's be at least minimally honest with ourselves. Moving thousands of athletes and spectators to one or more regions of the world will never result in a 100% virtuous and eco-friendly outcome.
"The abandonment of the green hydrogen plant project by Romande Energie above all illustrates the conjunctural difficulties facing the hydrogen sector, particularly in Switzerland, and, to a lesser extent, in Europe and the United States," explains Simon Siggen for the Nomads Foundation.
Relying on a new methodology, a recent study aims to address a shortcoming: the insufficient amount of empirical evidence allowing a systematic link to be established between ESG criteria and financial performance in real estate.
"Refusing to act today is accepting much higher costs tomorrow — whether it be climate damage, energy dependence, or a loss of prosperity," warns Pierrette Rey, spokesperson for WWF Switzerland.
"For SMEs and micro-enterprises, which make up a large majority of the Swiss economic fabric, the transition is no longer a mere environmental option, but a strategic necessity to ensure our prosperity," says Christophe Barman, national co-president of the FSE.
"If we want to succeed in the energy transition, we must also accept financing it. That requires clear and reliable rules capable of guaranteeing sufficient incentives for investment," explains Michael Frank, director of AES.
Responding to a recent survey conducted by Comparis on Swiss real estate, Sascha Nick, a researcher at EPFL's Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Economics, says that "Switzerland is not suffering from a housing shortage."