Sustainability is a core value for both EUCASS and CEAS, and this holds especially true for our events. This means that not only must the conference themes embrace sustainability, but the conference itself must also be managed as such.
EUCASS and CEAS appreciate that sustainability is one of the core values of EPFL. Recognizing the potentially detrimental impact that events can have on the environment, EPFL has taken a number of measures to reduce this impact and create events with positive economic and social impacts instead. This commitment is shared by the SwissTech Convention Center, which is one of the most sustainable congress centers in the world.
Aerospace at the service of sustainability
The air and space industries both develop and support technologies that are essential for enhancing the daily lives of people across the world.
CEAS and EUCASS are both committed to supporting the transition to a greener air and space industry. That’s why this year’s Conference will include the following sessions specifically focused on sustainability:
- Climate neutral aviation fuel, which will address the progress towards a more sustainable aviation system with a focus on alternative fuels and propulsion systems.
- Sustainable Space, which will address space sustainability and logistics, integrating several topics to discuss future space and Europe.
- Sustainable Aviation, which will address all the fundamental challenges, both in its civil and military aspects, that aviation is facing to ensuring a cleaner, quieter, smarter future for the industry.
- Reusable Systems for Space access, which is a symposium is for all stakeholders involved in the research and development of reusable launch to review the status of the different activities and projects.
Travel in sustainable style
To make an event truly sustainable, sustainability measures must be considered and incorporated before an event even starts. This is why we encourage, whenever possible, that participants at the Aerospace Europe Conference 2023 use public transportation and bikes to travel to and around EPFL, helping to reduce carbon emissions. Luckily, EPFL is located on a metro line, served by a number of bus lines, and participates in the region’s PubliBike bicycle sharing network. All attendees to the Aerospace Europe Conference will receive a free regional travel ticket included in their hotel reservation. And of course, Switzerland has a robust train system that connects with most of Western Europe.
The SwissTech Convention Center
As one of the most sustainable convention centers in the world, the SwissTech Convention Center uses water from Lake Geneva to heat and cool its buildings and has installed 15,000 m2 of solar panels on its roof. The Center relies mainly on natural light and has no air conditioning system, using instead a ventilation system that operates independently on different areas of the building to reduce energy when spaces are empty.
The SwissTech Convention Center sources its food locally as much as possible, using regional and seasonal ingredients, as well as offering vegetarian and organic meals. They also make use of eco-friendly materials, such as reusable cups and plates. In addition, the university also has a waste management system that promotes recycling and composting, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. And they calculate their CO2 emissions annually and have signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative.
"I am very happy to work for a congress center that is forward-looking and very advanced on the issue of sustainability,” says Laura Le Gal, Head of Client Services and Sustainability Leader for the SwissTech Convention Center. “We are the first to create our bespoke carbon footprint calculator for our events and have important projects underway, such as the Swiss Triple Impact program, mobility and waste plan.”
