Mobility & Emissions

IMD’s biggest impact on the environment is through energy consumption and travel. The institute is working to continuously reduce its footprint through renovation, equipment and technology upgrades, policies and behavioral changes.

In collaboration with the Canton de Vaud and AEnEC, an energy audit was mandated to Planair. To make IMD compliant with the targets Switzerland has set itself as part of its 2050 Energy Strategy, developed by the Swiss Federal Council, IMD plans a series of efforts that will be carried out over the next ten years to improve its energy efficiency span. IMD has targeted a minimum reduction of 12% of its energy and gas consumption and this will equate to a reduction of approximately 106 tons of CO2. In 2021, IMD reduced its energy consumption by changing the device use for digital signage and ensuring screens are shut down overnight. A total of 90 percent of all teaching spaces are also now equipped with low consumption LED lights.

Through the upgrade of technology and old equipment, IMD managed to reduce its total energy consumption, including gas and electricity, from 6,605,000 kWh in 2020 to 6,500,000 kWh in 2021, which corresponds to a reduction of 1.58 percent.

IMD offsets its greenhouse gas emissions related to employee travel. As part of the reforestation offset initiative, trees are planted when employees fly via Air France, KLM or Delta.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic further reduced employee air travel to 0.5 million miles on 384 flights in 2021, compared with 2.7 million miles on 945 flights in 2020. This cut carbon emissions (CO2) to 252.3 t in 2021 from 385.5 t in the previous year.

Although air travel increased again in the last quarter of the year, it is still at a low level compared with previous years.

Technology Reduces Travel Needs
IMD’s workforce continues to efficiently use technological tools to combine working from home and the campus offices. In 2021, over 66,800 Zoom sessions with more than 338,800 participants took place, reducing the need to travel.

IMD is strongly committed to minimizing waste and strives to increase recycling on campus. To reduce the amount of paper, in 2021, IMD removed more than 100 small printers and redirected print jobs to 30 multifunction printers across campus.
Outdated computers, screens or printers are first tested and either given to charitable associations or sold. IMD recycles technological devices that can no longer be reused through an association that contributes to the reintegration of people into society. This way, IMD was able to recycle over 12 cubic meters of technological equipment in 2021.

By actively improving waste management on campus, IMD reduced the amount of recyclable waste produced in 2021 by 6.2 tons, compared with 2020.

IMD aims to procure office supplies that are certified sustainable. In 2021, the percentage of office supplies purchased from Lyreco’s green products catalogue fell to 19.2%, compared with 21.9% in 2020 and 35.6% in 2019 because of the increase in purchases of COVID-19-related supplies. Purchases from the green product line represented 15.5% of the total sales IMD had with Lyreco in 2021. A fifth of the total sales were related to the purchase of hand sanitizer and masks.