SMEs receive awards for ideas to reduce CO2 in Switzerland

Four companies received prizes of CHF 60.000 (close to €50.000) for their forward-looking suggestions to set up CO2 reduction projects in Switzerland.

Each project receives a voucher from Climate-KIC for services from Climate-KIC partner South Pole Carbon.

The vouchers partly facilitate the financing needed to realise the CO2 reduction projects.

A Swiss market for the reduction of CO2 has emerged since the new CO2 Act came into effect on 1 January 2013.

6 million tons of C02

The target set until 2020 is to compensate more than 6 million tons of C02. This ambitious aim can only be achieved when SMEs with new innovation ideas can also be motivated to make their contributions.

Thanks to the initiative of the innovation experts in the climate field, Climate-KIC and South Pole Carbon, a call for proposals from SMEs was launched inviting them to put forward project development ideas and compete for vouchers for the development and registration of Swiss climate protection projects.

Anaïs Sägesser, Climate-KIC, is very enthusiastic about the quality of the applications: “This call for proposals demonstrates the immense potential amongst SMEs which can be unleashed with specifically aimed encouragement.”

Pierre Strub, Öbu and member of the jury, is also very pleased: “I am very happy with the choice of these very promising projects and I am also excited to see how their work will progress.”

Winning companies

Tado – Your heating just got smart

Installation of intelligent thermostats which optimise the personal heating curve without any complex programming being necessary. This is achieved by evaluating data from users, mobile phones and weather reports.

The Mobility House

Encouragement of electromobility through a customer-orientated and holistic choice of products which includes green electricity providers, electric vehicle producers and battery charging station providers.

Box Tango

Innovative turnover technology for containers which facilitates the horizontal transition from rail directly onto trucks. The cost-efficient application of combining truck and rail traffic will hugely expand due to the large reduction in turnover time and infrastructure costs this technology provides.

Ökostrom Schweiz

Recycling of warmth from the digestate with heat pumps for use on farms or supplying the district heating network.

Expert jury 

The expert jury included:

• Dr. Anaïs Sägesser, Director Swiss Centre, Climate-KIC
• Patrick Horka, Head of Swiss Climate Protection Projects, South Pole Carbon
• Dr. Christian Som, Manager Climate & Business, WWF
• Pierre Strub, Deputy Managing Director, Öbu – network for sustainable economic activity
• Dr. Christian Schaffner, Executive Director, Energy Science Centre ETH Zurich

Realisation of the projects

Each company receives financial aid to the amount of CHF 60.000.

The climate protection specialist, South Pole Carbon, will be in charge of realising the projects and supporting the companies.

Patrick Horka, Head of Swiss Climate Protection Projects, is looking forward to the collaboration: “The four winners are from fields which are often underrepresented when CO2 compensation is concerned: traffic, building and farming. We can actively promote innovations in climate protection here locally for Switzerland”.