Annual Report - Sens
Annual Report - Sens
Annual Report - Sens
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systematically, by prescribing not so much the means to<br />
achieving the ends as the ends themselves.<br />
“The existing statutory instruments are<br />
directed at resource efficiency only in part.<br />
This should be changed systematically.”<br />
However, the state has other options, which it has not made<br />
enough use of so far. Education and innovation can make<br />
crucial contributions to solving the problem of resources.<br />
Whereas some highly successful educational opportunities in<br />
this area have already been created at the level of Universities<br />
of Applied Sciences, we are still waiting in vain for a focused<br />
research and development programme from the state itself.<br />
“Education and innovation can make<br />
crucial contributions to solving the problem<br />
of resources.”<br />
But companies can still improve their management of resources<br />
to their own advantage, without the state having to intervene.<br />
Very few businesses have accounting systems that enable<br />
them to allocate resource and environmental costs directly to<br />
the individual products incurring them. These costs are usually<br />
allocated to overheads, with the result that ‘resource-friendly’<br />
products indirectly subsidise ‘resource-hostile’ products,<br />
which then become cheaper. This encourages poor investment<br />
decisions, with the incorrect allocation of costs producing a<br />
situation where the savings potential of behaviour that con -<br />
serves resources is underestimated.<br />
What do you personally do in your daily life<br />
to conserve resources?<br />
I try not to do too many things at once and concentrate my<br />
options on a few, efficient measures. Two years ago we had<br />
our house totally renovated along energy-efficient lines and<br />
are now about to replace our oil-fired heating system. As far as<br />
food is concerned, I am mindful of where foods come from, and<br />
I don’t eat a lot of meat. Other ways of conserving resources<br />
Interview<br />
Thomas Heim<br />
Dr. sc. nat. (Doctor of Natural Science) ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of<br />
Technology in Zurich), Director of the Centre for Resource Efficiency (ZEF)<br />
of the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) (University of Applied<br />
Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland). Managing Director of the<br />
Effizienzagentur Schweiz (Swiss Agency for Efficiency). Expert in environmental<br />
and resource efficiency, cleaner production and clean technology.<br />
without foregoing any comforts are recycling, composting and<br />
not printing out texts. It’s much more difficult when it comes<br />
to mobility: travel is without doubt my environmental weakness<br />
– I do get a season ticket for this though.<br />
Swiss Agency for Efficiency<br />
The Swiss Agency for Efficiency is an internationally operating planning<br />
and consultancy company. A spin-off of the University of Applied<br />
Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, it offers sustainable solutions<br />
for enhancing the efficiency of companies and institutions, by<br />
reducing their energy consumption and optimising the flow of materials,<br />
processes and products.<br />
SENS <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> 2011 15