Sustainability

Thanks to its interdisciplinary team, EPFL Sustainability supports and encourages EPFL’s key stakeholders to make the critical transition towards sustainability within their own entities. EPFL Sustainability strives to turn the campus into a living lab and responsible community, in particular by fostering and supporting student involvement.

EPFL campus : view on trees and Agora by Niels Ackermann, Lundi13 — © Niels Ackermann / Lundi13 (2021)

In recent years, awareness of climate and environmental issues has been heightened. EPFL, a recognized higher education institution and public entity, has a leading role to play in addressing these issues.

EPFL Sustainability collaborates closely with the EPFL Presidency, Vice-presidencies, Schools, Colleges and central services towards embedding EPFL’s strategic sustainability goals across campus operations, education and innovation, as well as in its research, outreach and international collaborations.

The Sustainability Unit is attached to the Vice Presidency for Responsible Transformation (VPT).

EPFL Sustainability and its activities

From left to right: Luca Fontana, Aurore Nembrini, Nicola Banwell, Eric Domon, Michka Mélo, Gisou van der Goot, Gianluca Paglia, Alfredo Kägi

About us

Team, publications, partners, labels and awards

Sustainability on EPFL campuses

The activities of EPFL Sustainability within operations

A dense and dynamic network

Communities and initiatives supported by the Sustainability Unit

Sustainability through education

Infusing sustainability throughout the curriculum

International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)

Exchanging globally with universities committed to the environment

News related to EPFL Sustainability

EPFL wants campus events to be more sustainable

Published:06.10.21 — The Sustainability Unit and Mediacom Events have just published a series of sustainability recommendations for campus events, covering everything from food planning and waste management to issues of equality.

A heating plant that combines renewable energy sources

Published:08.09.21 — EPFL has recently brought an innovative heating plant online and will soon connect it to a large data center. The plant will help the Ecublens campus optimize how it generates and consumes energy, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality.

Sustainability conference made more sustainable by Covid

Published:16.07.21 — The International Sustainability Campus Network’s (ISCN) 14th conference took place in June 2021 and was attended from some 30 countries on all continents. Hosted virtually by EPFL on the theme "Accelerating Climate Action and Sustainability in Education", it offered several lessons for the future.

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