10 July 2018. The concept for measuring and optimising campus operations will be further pursued by Gruppe Bau+Technik headed by Markus Steiner, HSG expert in sustainable facility management. The first carbon footprint was recorded by students of the oikos sustainability initiative in autumn 2012. Together with the "Sustainable HSG Infrastructure" group, oikos continues to be involved in the CO2 optimisation projects.

Responsibility and sustainability at the HSG

The project is part of the University of St.Gallen’s environmental commitment to "Responsibility and Sustainability". With EnAW (the Swiss Private Sector Energy Agency) at the behest of the Confederation and the Canton of St.Gallen, the HSG buildings and IT systems are continually checked and improved. Their energy efficiency was increased by up to 20% in terms of the indicators (number of students, energy reference areas and opening hours). Since the inception of the measures in 2014, the consumption of electric power and water was further reduced.

Measures for sustainable campus operation

• Demand-related control (including the operating time of the ventilation systems) was optimised. Some IT appliances are switched to standby mode at night by time switches.
• Large-surface lighting conversion to LED technology resulted in major savings in electric power.
• The use of tap-flow reducers strongly decreased water consumption without disrupting operations. In 2018, further water dispensers were installed on the campus.
• When it comes to purchasing new electric appliances such as AV appliances, special attention is paid to their efficiency. Thanks to all these measures, energy in the approximate amount of 700,000 kWh/a could be saved in 2018.
• Year after year, the greatest attention is paid to the certification by the Natur und Wirtschaft Foundation for an extensive and near-natural management of our gardens.
• New improvements were also achieved with regard to waste management. Besides cardboard, paper, PET, glass, metal and wood, plastics are now also separated and recycled.

The measures for the avoidance of plastic waste in Mensa catering was supplemented by various campaigns and tips with regard to the issue of food waste. Thus one-way crockery was replaced by reusable crockery, and from 3.30 p.m. the Mensa offers a take-away menu, which costs CHF 8.00 and consists of unsold food. Also, only marine products with the MSC label are purchased.

In order to optimally guarantee the constantly growing maintenance tasks in the various properties of the University of St.Gallen, the acquisition of a usable vehicle was an option. A CO2-neutral means of transport was deliberately chosen. CO2-neutral means that the energy for operating the new car comes from the university's power grid, with the HSG relying on solar and water power.

In order to optimally guarantee the constantly growing maintenance tasks in the various properties of the University of St.Gallen, the acquisition of a usable vehicle was an option. A CO2-neutral means of transport was deliberately chosen. CO2-neutral means that the energy for operating the new car comes from the university's power grid, with the HSG relying on solar and water power.