Vizcab, a spin-off of the Fribourg site of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL Fribourg), could, according to a Media release raised venture capital of 1.6 million euros. The start-up, based in Lyon, France, has developed a new method that enables engineers to assess the energy efficiency of a building as early as the design phase. With this capital injection, Vizcab initially wants to gain a foothold in France. In 18 to 24 months, the young company plans to raise a Series B financing round to expand.

"Our start-up works at the intersection of the digital and the ecological turnaround," explains founder and innovation chief Thomas Jusselme. His data-based model can integrate greenhouse gas emission targets into the early stages of the design process. Until now, calculating the environmental effects of a building was only possible after design decisions had been set in stone.

Architects and engineers can enter various design options into an Internet application developed by Vizcab. It runs thousands of simulations based on various design parameters such as heating, glazing and insulation.

This method was developed by Building 2050 developed, a team that is active in the Smart Living Lab located at EPFL Fribourg. The first prototype was developed in collaboration with two EPFL laboratories, the Laboratory for Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID) and the Laboratory for Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST), developed. Furthermore, the laboratory EPFL+ECAL and the Human IST Institute of the University of Freiburg (UNIFR) involved.

"It's always gratifying to hear that a spinoff that develops a technology under license from the EPFL operates, has secured funding," said Frédéric Pont, one of the university's technology transfer managers. "And it's particularly welcome news in the midst of a global pandemic and economic uncertainty.

Risk researchers were making recommendations even before the actual Corona crisis. Nevertheless, although there were early warnings of an exponentially growing pandemic, most policymakers appeared unprepared or hesitant, and it was not until COVID-19 spread from China around the world in March 2020 that risk experts were consulted.

Meanwhile, the crisis has led to unprecedented restrictions and triggered the worst recession since World War II. Despite the ongoing global pandemic, people are taking to the streets, demanding more welfare for themselves in general, and new digital technology and progress solutions are making the rounds in industry and business.

The French-speaking Swiss Aengus Collins, Marie-Valentine Florin - both at the EPFL Lausanne at the International Risk Governance Center tatitig - and German IASS Director Ortwin Renn present actual key factors of crises in their article "COVID-19 risk governance: drivers, responses and lessons to be learned," published in the April 2020 Journal of Risk Research.

The following are the findings of the risk researchers and recommendations on how our high-tech society can better equip itself against crises.

A framework for the crisis 

The article provides an overview of the spread of Covid-19 and describes six causes of the crisis: the exponential rate of infection, international interconnectedness, lack of capacity of health systems in many countries, confusion of competencies and lack of foresight among many government agencies, difficulties in considering the economic impact of the shutdown in parallel with the health consequences, and weaknesses in the capital market stemming from the 2008 financial crisis. In developing proposed solutions, the team of authors uses the framework co-developed by Ortwin Renn of the International Risk Governance Councils.

Thus, it is necessary to create more capacities for a globally effective scientific-technical assessment of risks, above all to provide reliable early warning systems. Newly developed research requires complementary analysis of risk perception - that is, individual and societal opinions, concerns and desires. For only if these are known and taken to heart can effective crisis communication be conducted and correspondingly effective behavioral regulations be issued.

A key task for decision-makers is the Risk evaluationWhether and to what extent are risk mitigation measures necessary? Which trade-offs arise in the design of measures and restrictions and how can these be resolved according to recognized ethical criteria, even in the presence of extensive uncertainty?

The evaluation is then followed by evaluated options for the Risk Management. It involves collectively binding decisions on measures to minimize the overall suffering of the affected population. It also includes strategies to reduce undesirable side effects. An essential prerequisite for managing the crisis is coordinated crisis and Risk CommunicationThe effectiveness of these measures depends on a solid foundation in communications science and professional implementation.

The researchers conducted ten recommendations from:

1. Addressing risks at the source: thus, in the case of pandemics, reduce the possibility of viruses being transmitted from animals to humans.
2. Respond to warnings: This includes reviewing national and international risk assessments, as well as developing better safeguards in advance for risks with particularly severe impacts.
3. Observe conflicting goals: Measures to reduce a particular risk have an impact on other risks. Undesirable side effects must be included in the risk assessment.
4. Consider the role of technology: How can machine learning and other technologies be useful in pandemic assessment, preparedness, and response?
5. Investing in resilience: Gains in organizational efficiency have made critical systems like healthcare vulnerable. Now their resilience must be strengthened, for example by reducing dependencies on key products and services.
6. Focus on the most important nodes in the system: In the event of a pandemic, early restriction of air traffic is effective. A global emergency fund could be established for such measures.
7. Strengthening the link between science and politics: Countries where the transmission of information and recommendations from science to policy has worked well have been more successful in combating coronavirus.
8. Build state capacity: Dealing with systemic risk should be seen as a continuous component of good governance rather than an emergency response.
9. Better communication: Communication on Covid-19 has been slow or faulty in a number of countries. One solution to this would be to establish national and international risk information and communication units.
10. Reflect on social ruptures: The Corona crisis is forcing people and organizations to experiment with new patterns of living and working. Now is the time to consider what changes should be retained as desirable in the long term.

 Literature reference:

Aengus Collins, Marie-Valentine Florin & Ortwin Renn, " COVID-19 risk governance: drivers, responses and lessons to be learned, Journal of Risk Research" (2020, DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2020.1760332)

 

 

 

 

"Without immediate action to mitigate the corona crisis for families and children, we will not achieve the UN Development Goals by 2030," says Erika Dittli, program manager at SOS Children's Villages Switzerland. "Families who have only just managed to break the vicious cycle of poverty and lack of education are facing a severe setback."

Dittli expects poverty and hunger to increase dramatically in the wake of the Corona crisis. Violence against children is also steadily increasing in Corona isolation, while the opportunity to receive education and medical care continues to decline. A momentary assessment of the UN development goals:

Poverty
Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty had fallen from 36 to ten percent. "Due to the global economic crisis, millions of families are currently losing their only income and can no longer provide adequately for their children," emphasizes Erika Dittli. According to estimates by the 'UN-University', the number of people in extreme poverty - depending on economic development - will increase by 80 to 420 million. The billion mark could be exceeded this year - for the first time since 2010.

Hunger
Even before Corona, the number of hungry people had risen again for three consecutive years. "This trend is being further fueled by the Corona crisis. Because if you lose your job today because of the Corona crisis, you will go hungry tomorrow in many countries," explains Dittli. Moreover, many countries are already severely burdened by climate change, wars or other disasters such as the locust plague in North Africa. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) fears that ten million more children will be affected by malnutrition - an increase of 20 percent. If young children do not get enough to eat, this often leads to irreversible damage or even death after only a short time.

Education
The global Corona measures have meant that, at times, more than 90 percent of all students have had to stay home. "Instead of learning at home, many of these children have to go back to work in the fields or in the family business," says Dittli. The longer this situation continues, the more likely it is that a child, will never resume his or her education. Before the crisis, nine percent of all children worldwide were not in school. "We fear that this number will rise again. Girls in particular are at risk, as they are usually the first to be affected when their families can no longer afford to send them to school," says Dittli.

Infant Mortality
"When parents run out of money for medicine and hygiene supplies and at the same time health systems are overburdened, an increase in child mortality is foreseeable," says Dittli. While the number of annual deaths among children under five has been more than halved since 1990, from 12.7 million to about 5.3 million, current UN projections indicate that it could rise again. Before the corona crisis, an average of 15,000 infants under five died every day worldwide. Now, there could be about 6,000 more every day. "These deaths will be largely due to preventable diseases such as diarrhea. Unimaginable in this country," explains Dittli.

Violence, abuse, exploitation
Even the declared goal of the United Nations to protect all children from violence, abuse and exploitation by 2030 will not be achieved, according to fears of SOS Children's Villages - on the contrary: "Where large families, living together in a very small space, are confronted with unemployment and existential fears, we have observed an increase in domestic violence since the beginning of the crisis," reports Erika Dittli. Exploitative child labor or forced marriages are also on the rise. "Faced with the choice of letting their own daughter starve or marrying her off, many parents opt for the latter," explains Dittli.

The conclusion of the SOS program manager: "If we as humanity want to take a step forward by 2030 and recover sustainably from this crisis, we need to invest in the next generation - in education and in supporting families. Because today's children will determine how sustainable and crisis-resistant our future will be."

www.sos-kinderdorf.ch

 

The fact that the increased outdoor activity during the Corona crisis probably leads to more frequent contact with ticks is illustrated, for example, by the newly developed app data at Easter. In 2020, a similar number of reports were received as in the tick record year 2018. Despite the absence of the Easter traffic jam on the Gotthard, there was not the expected slump in tick observations.

The ZHAW researchers used data collected over five years to calculate "where and how often humans and ticks meet in Switzerland over the course of the year," explains the ZHAW in a Communication.

Their researchers suspect that the coronavirus pandemic will indirectly affect the pattern of tick contacts. As ZHAW researcher Werner Tischhauser explains, the data indicate "that the changed pattern of outdoor activity leads to more frequent tick contact in local recreation areas than in previous years."

Context between diseases and mobility behavior  

Researchers are currently working to calculate how the change in mobility behavior of the Swiss during the pandemic will affect the entire tick season this year. They want to predict the tick risk potential for a period of two weeks. This would allow teachers, for example, to minimize the risk of ticks during a forest project week, writes ZHAW.

Protection against the tick-borne TBE viruses is also important in Corona times, ZHAW further explains in the release. "Individuals in at-risk groups for COVID-19 should first consult with their attending physician by phone for TBE vaccination," Tischhauser recommends. "Those who are getting TBE vaccine for the first time or who want to refresh vaccine protection after ten years should do so immediately."

 

 

A Expertise on behalf of Energy-turnaround-yes and Greenpeace Switzerland is intended to show how a climate-friendly package of measures can have a positive impact on rebuilding the economy after the Corona crisis. It recommends a targeted stimulus program 2020/2030 of 16 billion francs and demand support of 15 billion francs.

True Cost 

In this context, "true costs as a central market principle" should be a guiding principle in rebuilding the economy. "With consistent enforcement of true costs, the need for regulation would diminish and the impact of the program would be significantly enhanced," states a Media release of both organizations.

70,000 jobs could be created and Switzerland could be brought back on track with the Paris climate agreement.

The authors propose measures such as mobility pricing, an increase in the CO2 levy to 150 Swiss francs per ton, a greenhouse gas levy for agriculture and an airline ticket levy. In terms of social compatibility, at least half of the revenue from this should be distributed back to the population and the economy.

For the additional financial requirement, estimated at 100 billion Swiss francs, the report proposes the creation of a crisis and structural fund. The non-repayable funds for this should come from "cooperative money creation" by the federal government and the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are to be made available. They should directly benefit the public instead of further inflating the private financial system. This would create confidence and stability.

The right savings regime 

"Compared to a further flooding of the private financial system, the creation of money directly through the channels of the public sector turns out to be a rather inflation-dampening measure," says the head of climate at Greenpeace Switzerland, Georg Klingler. A rigid or "economically and socially damaging austerity regime of the public sector" would be counterproductive after the crisis.

Sustainable investments showed a striking growth of +147 percent, according to the study prepared by SSF in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP) at the University of Zurich. At CHF 470.7 billion, they accounted for 38 percent of the Swiss fund market at the end of 2019. Sustainable mandates have grown even more, by 195 percent, meaning that CHF 208.9 billion in assets are now managed in this area. Sustainably managed assets of institutional investors amounted to CHF 483.7 billion at the end of 2019, representing around 30 percent of their assets under management. Sustainable investment solutions are therefore highly favored by investors - also because they are more cost-effective than conventional financial products. Private customer share almost doubles 79 percent of the total volume of sustainable investments is held in the portfolios of institutional customers, while 21 percent is held by private customers. The latter have almost doubled their share compared to the previous year (2018: 12 percent) and significantly expanded thanks to an overall growth in investment volume of 185 percent. "This confirms the growing interest of private clients, but also the fact that many financial service providers are newly adopting sustainable investment approaches for classic funds," Sabine Döbeli, CEO of SSF, is pleased to report.   Shareholders increasingly seek a say Sustainable investment volumes increased across all investment approaches in 2019. ESG integration ranks first, followed by exclusion criteria and newly by ESG engagement, which now ranks third. Strikingly, both ESG Voting and ESG Engagement show significantly higher growth rates compared to the other investment approaches. "More and more shareholders are seeking dialogue with their companies so that they align themselves sustainably. And they are apparently being heard," explains Prof. Timo Busch, Senior Fellow at CSP, who provided scientific support for the study. Also noteworthy is the doubling of impact investing volumes - although a large part of this growth is not in the traditionally used asset classes of private debt and private equity, but in listed equities - an area where experience shows that direct impact is more difficult to achieve. Climate protection becomes more important for asset managers, but reporting still needs to be improved At 34, significantly more asset managers indicated this year than last year (25) that they pursue a specific investment approach for climate-friendly investing. They most frequently report the climate footprint of portfolios, followed by investments in climate solutions and active engagement and voting rights for more climate protection at companies. This is an important development, as both politicians and investors are increasingly calling for investments to become climate-friendly. However, the fact that only around one third of all asset managers (15) state that they provide information on the climate compatibility of their investment products shows that there is still a need for optimization in this area. "SSF is working on concrete recommendations on metrics by means of which investors should be informed about climate compatibility and generally about the sustainability of portfolios," adds Jean Laville, Deputy CEO of SSF. EU sets binding guard rails The European Union (EU) has gone on the offensive and has defined and largely implemented practically all the legislative proposals on sustainable finances that were initiated a year ago. In the so-called taxonomy, the technical expert group (TEG) has set out on several 100 pages which economic activities deserve the label "environmentally friendly". This much-cited compendium forms the basis for the definition of green financial products that live up to their designation. This is accompanied by a comprehensive information obligation that will also be relevant for many Swiss financial service providers. But the EU is going one step further and has already announced a new Sustainable Finance Strategy to mobilize more funds for the Green Deal. It is also discussing its standards with other countries as part of the newly created International Platform on Sustainable Finance. Since March 2020, Switzerland has also been a member of this platform and can contribute its perspective there. SSF is working intensively on an action plan for Switzerland The Swiss financial center is well advised to consistently continue on its chosen path toward a sustainable financial industry, especially as international competition is likely to intensify further. "Only if the Swiss financial industry continues to be agile can it expand its leading role in the area of sustainability and thus make a significant contribution to achieving the international climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. We are therefore working intensively on an action plan to show how the Swiss financial center can build on existing strengths and develop further in the topic in a forward-looking way," Sabine Döbeli concludes. The study was supported by the six main sponsors Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank, BearingPoint, INOKS Capital, Pictet Asset Management, RobecoSAM and Swisscanto Invest, as well as the six secondary sponsors Berner Kantonalbank, ECOFACT, Inrate, OLZ, Swiss Life Asset Managers and VERIT Investment Management. SSF would like to take this opportunity to thank all sponsors for their valuable support.

A release on the SI Opener states, "In the Corona crisis - as with many other fundamental ESG issues, for that matter - digital human rights are being put to the test. On the one hand, apps that can track infected individuals can save lives and help ease measures to contain the pandemic, thus helping the economy. On the other hand, the use of such apps puts privacy at risk if not done carefully."

Some seem to believe that privacy should be sacrificed for this purpose. However, AccessNow, a leading nonprofit organization in the field, argues that strong digital rights can indeed help improve public health.(2)

Robeco (see box below) fully shares this view. "If digital rights are not adequately protected, people will not voluntarily use apps to track infected people, so the only way these apps will succeed in this case is if their use is made mandatory. In many countries, people won't accept that, and the governments of those countries would thus not be able to use digital health tools successfully."

Problems with regard to digital human rights

But there are other, the SI opener continues, "less obvious problems." Health data is among the most sensitive data there is. Data protection is of utmost importance here. The analysis of health data by authorities may be necessary to respond to a massive outbreak of an infectious disease. However, poor handling of this data can lead to mistrust and less use of digital health tools.

Another important issue is surveillance. Some governments may use the crisis to install surveillance tools on a large scale, which could be seen as controversial. For example, facial recognition is already playing a large role in monitoring and controlling the movements of people in the Corona crisis. China is making use of this to detect infected people and identify people who are not wearing masks.

In Moscow, authorities are reportedly using surveillance cameras and facial recognition and location tracking systems to enforce quarantine regulations and track down infected individuals and their family members.(3) While we recognize that individualism is more valued in Western countries than elsewhere, we believe these practices risk seriously violating the basic human right to privacy - without clear societal benefit.

Censorship and dissemination of false information

IT and telecommunications companies around the world are increasingly facing orders from governments to restrict access to their services and disrupt networks. Such disruptions have resulted in restrictions on the internationally recognized right to freedom of expression, cutting off access to emergency services, payment and healthcare services, and limiting contact with family members and friends.

In some cases, such orders carry an additional risk of human rights violations if they impede the free flow of information in the run-up to elections or if the orders target specific regions, districts or ethnic groups. In the current crisis, we are seeing authorities in China, Iran, and even the U.S. attempting to control information disseminated by journalists and health professionals on social media.

However, we are also seeing a great deal of misinformation being spread, such as holding your breath to check if you are infected, or the recommendation of a wide variety of medications being touted as the solution to the Corona pandemic. In response, large platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter are directing consumers to reliable sources of information such as health authorities.

What can companies do?

In the absence of a good regulatory framework, we believe digital human rights bring risks to the companies we invest in. Risks related to data privacy, cybersecurity and the societal impact of AI can have a very negative impact on their business. Therefore, companies can set themselves apart by addressing these issues in an exemplary manner.

As part of our fundamentals-based investment process, Robeco therefore systematically analyzes how companies deal with these issues. To assess the risks in this regard, they examine not only the strength of companies' editorial and information security policies, but also the approach and outcomes when it comes to breaches and fines. Some companies also act more transparently than others with respect to these outcomes.

We combine this analysis with other material aspects such as corporate governance and human resources policies to assess the impact on the value drivers of companies in these sectors. Privacy and cybersecurity risks, as well as societal risks related to AI, are often difficult to quantify in terms of their impact on revenue and cost drivers. Based on our analysis, we therefore primarily adjust our figure for a company's cost of capital to get an estimate for reputational, legal, and business risks.

The tip of the iceberg

In our investment analysis and active influencing of companies, Robeco focuses on imminent risks and challenges such as discrimination or data privacy breaches as a result of building algorithms. We also look at the effectiveness of corporate governance in relation to digital human rights and their impact on human capital, but also at the opportunities that AI offers. All these aspects are essential for the financial success of a company.

Robeco concludes in the SI Opener with a commitment that promises much: "We ask companies to acquire appropriate knowledge at board level and to establish robust policies and processes that ensure human rights compliance in our increasingly digitalized world. We also ask them to be transparent when issues or violations are identified. Lest there be any doubt: Of course, an app that could help track Covid 19 cases and curb the spread of the coronavirus is a good idea. But its success depends on how well human rights are protected."

Link to the original PDF version of SI Opener's #1

 

Background information about the SI Opener:

As with all rapidly evolving trends, the lack of a sound regulatory framework brings new risks and opportunities for all stakeholders. At Robeco, we recognized many years ago that data privacy is a major business risk for Internet and telecommunications companies. Some companies' business models are based entirely on collecting, using or selling data about consumers. Cyber security and the societal risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) are therefore points that we focus on when it comes to digital human rights.

We believe that sustainable investing is not black and white. Nor is it about quick fixes or easy answers. We also believe that some common assumptions about sustainable investing may be wrong. That's why we at Robeco like to use our leadership in this field to educate investors about sustainable investing. In our new series of articles titled "SI Opener," we look at surprising aspects that affect Sustainable Investing and human progress. We start with the digital threat to privacy and human rights. With this series we would like to point out that Sustainable Investing is a complex topic and you need a lot of expertise and experience to make the right investment decisions.  

Sources:

1) Source: https://techjury.net/stats-about/big-data-statistics/#gref

2) Source: https://www.accessnow.org/protect-digital-rights-promote-public-health-towards-a-better-coronavirus-response/

3) Source: AccessNow.org

 

No two pandemics are the same. 126 Researchers from Switzerland are convinced: the Covid 19 pandemic falls into the group of zoonoses. These are infectious diseases that are transmitted between wild animals, domestic animals and humans.

The vast majority of viruses are harmless to humans, he said, but even a small percentage of infectious species is enough to create a phenomenal reserve of aggressive disease spreaders.

"For years we have been confronted with HIV, Ebola, Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, Lassa fever, Sars, H5N1, H1N1 as well as other new diseases. Their numbers seem to be steadily increasing over the last 50 years. That is why epidemics are occurring more and more frequently," reads the recently published commentary in the "Bund" (title: "Mit mehr Ökologie gegen die nächste Pandemie" [With more ecology against the next pandemic] of May 24, 2020).

It states that fewer and fewer wild animals exist on earth. They now account for a total of only five percent of the biomass of all land mammals!

"Therefore, one might think that the threat posed by the transmission of a virus from wild mammals to humans would decrease. However, the opposite is true. Because our footprint on the entire planet has become problematic," it continues.

This is impressively shown by the global report of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Risk No. 1: Transmission of pathogens

The severe fragmentation and urban sprawl of natural landscapes and the alarming depletion of biodiversity mean that natural food chains are so disrupted that wildlife in many places are forced to turn to resources generated by human activities.

However, this increases the risk of transmission of pathogens from wild animals to humans, either directly or via their pets and livestock. Viruses benefit from these newly much more frequent contacts with the new potential hosts. Those that leapfrog benefit from the global interconnectedness of our activities, as we are now seeing with the Sars-Cov-2 virus.

Mass extinction of species progresses

Pandemics are only one aspect of global change. No less worrying is the mass extinction of species triggered by changes in the natural environment, the overexploitation of natural resources, the pollution of air, water and soil, and the climate disruption caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Humanity today is confronted with the consequences of its own activities. Like the IPCC for climate, IPBES has extensive factual knowledge regarding the challenges of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. The resulting conclusions must be appropriated by all societal actors, especially elected politicians, if they want to initiate national and supranational policies that are up to these challenges.

Political change of course called for 

"The four of us speak on behalf of a total of 126 scientists from Switzerland who call on our politicians to act without delay on the factors that ultimately underlie coming dramatic pandemics. As an important step in the direction of the needed change of course, we recommend taking innovative measures to counteract climate change more decisively than before, to protect biodiversity, tropical forests and other natural habitats on land as well as in water, and to promote a more respectful use of land, as well as an economy that allows us to significantly reduce our ecological footprint." (Source: The Confederation)

 

Whether bookstores, museums or the music industry: the Corona crisis confronts the creative industries with new problems. The Zurich Centre for Creative Economies (ZCCE) at the ZHdK is investigating central questions with a multi-dimensional study: What do the different sectors of the creative economy have in common? And what cuts have they had to contend with as a result of the Corona crisis? In the first part, the editors of the study "Sleeping Beauty" - Frédéric Martel, Romain Page, Simon Grand and Christoph Weckerle - make a historical comparison with the Great Depression in America; in the second part, they conduct interviews with creative artists from Zurich to New York; and third, they analyze current statistics on the creative economy in Switzerland. The fourth part of the study, which will be published in June, will focus on strategies around Swiss cultural promotion.

Snowball effect and digitization

Concerts, dance and theater performances are affected by the crisis at their core, since they are designed to bring people together. The situation of museums is also a cause for concern. Will tourists, who make up a large part of the public, return? How can the deficit in ticket sales be covered? In many areas, the snowball effect of the crisis is not yet even foreseeable: Canceled festivals, tours and other live events pose a threat to the entire industry complex. After only a few months, it is already apparent that the Corona crisis will affect the cultural sector for much longer than the lockdown periods last. At the same time, "the new normal" is accelerating the digitization of culture. New consumption habits are emerging, the duration of which cannot yet be estimated after the crisis: One example of this is so-called "concerts in-game," which take place on video game platforms and attract an audience of millions.

The Creative Economy in Switzerland in figures

What does this mean in terms of employment figures? The ZCCE analyzes the latest public statistics. The analytical grids used allow interesting conclusions to be drawn about the heterogeneity of the individual subsectors and show the strong interconnectedness with the overall economy. According to the study, the Creative Economy in Switzerland has reached a substantial size: between 2016 and 2018, a total of around half a million people worked in the Creative Economy in Switzerland, which corresponds to 11 percent of all employed persons in Switzerland. The Creative Economy workforce accounts for 15 percent of the overall economy in the greater Zurich region. Further analyses in the fall will show how the Corona crisis affects this. Basically, the editors of the study assume that specific practices and processes of creative artists are not a problem in the time of the Corona virus, but are precisely part of the solution. This is because the creative industries are in a position to "make radical statements about what future models might be possible."

About the ZCCE

The Zurich Centre for Creative Economies (ZCCE) is a competence and research center at the interfaces of science, business, politics and society. It analyzes developments in the creative industries, places current events in their context and finds sustainable strategies. The results of this work include Research Notes, which are published selectively, flexibly and promptly.

After more than ten years of research activity in the field of Creative Economies at the ZHdK, the support of the Zürcher Kantonalbank enabled the ZCCE to be established as a dedicated center for this purpose in 2019.

More information about the Zurich Centre for Creative Economies can be found at:

www.zhdk.ch/zcce

 

 

It is nothing new that the distribution of waste in public spaces, that "littering" increases each spring.

The Corona virus has not only turned our lives upside down in a very short time, the lockdown has also brought us a new situation in terms of waste. However, the sharp reduction in leisure activities and the recommended "social distancing" now ensure that people spend even more time in nature and in public spaces: Instead of meeting in garden pubs, open-air swimming pools or at open-air festivals, the population is spending time in secluded areas - for example in parks, on meadows, in the forest, on hiking trails or on the banks of rivers and lakes.

There, not only litter bins are often missing, but also social control, which increases the inhibition to leave litter.

Proven mix of measures 

To ensure that this does not lead to an increase in littering with the further relaxation of the Corona measures, cities and municipalities are relying on the proven mix of measures consisting of awareness-raising, waste infrastructure and buses. But, in this particular situation, we are all particularly challenged: We have it in our own hands whether we can enjoy our surroundings or whether we have to be annoyed by litter lying around. As the Swiss competence center against littering, the IG saubere Umwelt (IGSU) would therefore like to call on the population to take care of the environment even in the current situation.

Waste belongs in the bucket 

"The IGSU is pleased with the population about the regained freedom of movement," explains executive director Nora Steimer. "However, despite all the euphoria, we must not forget to take care of our living space as well as our health - just as we usually do. Waste belongs in the bucket or is taken home and disposed of correctly there. Please all abide by this. Thank you!" The IGSU will also become active itself and campaign against littering as usual: As soon as the recommendations of the Federal Council allow it, it will start its ambassador missions, which had to be suspended due to the lockdown. On these tours through Switzerland, the IGSU ambassador teams visited up to 50 communities and towns in each of the last years and motivated passers-by in a humorous way to dispose of waste correctly.

 

Interest Group for a Clean Environment (IGSU)
The IGSU is the Swiss competence center against littering. Since 2007, it has been working nationally with preventive awareness-raising measures for a clean Switzerland. One of the best-known measures of the IGSU is the national Clean-Up-Day, which will take place this year on September 11 and 12. The sponsors of the IGSU are the IGORA Cooperative for Aluminum Recycling, PET Recycling Switzerland, VetroSwiss, 20Minuten, Swiss Cigarette, McDonald's Switzerland, Migros, Coop, Valora and the International Chewing Gum Association. They are also involved in their own activities to combat littering and, for example, set up additional waste garbage cans or carry out clean-up tours.

www.igsu.ch

Recent tests realized by Ford show that the new, all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E achieves an average WLTP range of 119 km within about ten minutes when charging at an IONITY fast charging point*. The real-world tests showed an increase in range of up to 26 kilometers during fast charging compared to previous computer-simulated results. This represents an improvement of almost 30 percent. The figures refer to the model with optional "Extended Range" battery and rear-wheel drive.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD with "Extended Range" battery and all-wheel drive through the dual electric motor achieves an estimated WLTP range of 107 kilometers within ten minutes. Both versions (all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive) can be recharged to 80 percent of battery capacity within 45 minutes, starting from a ten percent residual charge of the "Extended Range" battery.

Low power consumption

The Ford Mustang Mach-E versions with "Standard Range" batteries achieve an average range of 91 kilometers (rear-wheel drive) and 85 kilometers (all-wheel drive) with a charging time of ten minutes at an IONITY fast charging point; the charging time from ten to 80 percent battery capacity is 38 minutes in each case.

The maximum charging power of the Ford Mustang Mach-E is 150 kW.

"Mustang Mach E customers love the open road. Less time charging means more time enjoying the drive," said Mark Kaufman, global director, Electric Vehicles, Ford Motor Company. "We're committed to maximizing the speed of charging the new Ford Mustang Mach-E, and we continue to work with a wide range of providers to make even more charging points accessible through FordPass to make charging easier."

The power consumption of the new Mustang Mach-E is between 18.1 and 16.5 kWh/100 km (combined)* according to WLTP. In terms of the "Extended Range" battery, this means a range of up to 600 kilometers before the vehicle needs to be recharged. The "Standard Range" battery has a storage capacity of 75 kWh and offers a range of up to 450 kilometers according to WLTP.

The new Mustang Mach-E is a 4.71-meter-long, 1.88-meter-wide and 1.60-meter-high crossover SUV with electric drive. It will be offered with a choice of two battery options (Standard Range / Extended Range), rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (dual electric motor), and in various power ratings. Price: from 49,560 Swiss francs (recommended retail price from Ford-Werke GmbH plus transfer and registration costs). The battery packs are located in the vehicle floor between the axles to save space.

Ford Charging Solutions and IONITY fast charging stations

In Europe, Ford has taken on one of the most important issues in electric mobility - the fast and convenient charging of electric vehicles. Thanks to a holistically designed system called Ford Charging Solutions, which will also integrate the free FordPass app, customers - in cooperation with the company NewMotion - will in future be able to use Europe's largest and fastest-growing public charging network with over 125,000 charging points in 21 countries. The offering will be complemented by a practical charging solution for the home.

In addition, 400 HPC (High Power Charging) fast charging stations with their nearly 2,400 charging points are available, which the IONITY consortium - of which Ford is one of the founding members and partners - will install along European long-distance roads by the end of 2020. The distance between the individual charging stations is to be a maximum of 120 kilometers.

Earlier this year, Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe, called on governments, industries and institutions to support electrification by accelerating the expansion of public charging infrastructure. At the same time, the group has committed to building 1,000 charging stations at Ford locations across Europe over the next three years to enable employees to easily and conveniently charge their electrified vehicles.

18 electrified Ford models by the end of 2021

The all-electric Mustang Mach-E heads a fast-growing lineup of 18 electrified Ford models in total that the company will launch in Europe by the end of 2021.

www.de.ford.ch

The years 2014 to 2018 were characterized by extreme weather conditions for arable farming from an agronomic perspective. While 2017 and 2018 were warm and dry, 2016 saw more rain than usual. How this affected the success of wheat, rapeseed, sunflowers, potatoes and sugarbeet was analyzed using the contribution margins from the Central Analysis of Accounting Data.

Different cultures

Despite the heat and drought, 2018 can be described as an average year in terms of contribution margins in a five-year comparison. The wet year 2016, on the other hand, led to a drop in yields for wheat, potatoes and sugar beet and thus to lower contribution margins. Canola is less negatively affected by wetter years. Sunflowers even benefit from the warmth and dryness. In general, warmer and drier weather tends to benefit the growing conditions of arable crops.

Within the wheat and canola crops, the success of the different cultivation methods can also be compared. In the average year 2018, organic wheat achieved the highest contribution margins, while in conventional cultivation, extenso wheat was more profitable than non-extenso wheat. For canola, the extenso method also performed better than non-extenso cultivation, and the difference is even more pronounced than for wheat.

Dierk Schmid: "Arable farming: warmer years better than wet years : contribution margins of wheat, oilseed rape, sunflower, potato, and sugar beet (2014-2018)."

Summary (download)