Sustainability in Zurich

In this essay, I would like to point out the sustainable commitment of Zurich, Switzerland and its influence on the inhabitants of the city, including myself. The Swiss achievements will be challenged by means of an international comparison with leaders in terms of sustainable development according to the Siemens Green City Index.

I would like to elaborate on the term ‘sustainability’. Sustainability as we know it today first surfaced in the Brundtland definition which was published in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). It contained a mission statement on the topic of sustainability in order to guarantee comfortable living for the current and future generations by means of sustainable development.

In this essay I would like to refer to the three pillars of the Brundtland report intended to keep the world under a sustainable rooftop and to maintain the long, friendly coexistence of human beings and nature: economy, ecology and society. While ecological development focuses on reducing pollution and increasing the use of renewable resources, economical goals are set in terms of guaranteeing long term economic achievements without restricting natural resources and their growth. The influencing factors of the third pillar, such as tolerance, equality and emancipation, may be summed up as social responsibility.

Since sustainable development became part of the Swiss Federal Constitution, all cantons have been eager to fulfil their sustainability goals and to set a good example. With over 400,000 inhabitants, Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the economic heart of the country. It is, therefore, a hub for the country’s sustainable development. In 2004, Zurich was the first Swiss city to publish a sustainability report; it included 21 indicators referring to the three pillars to measure the success and development of sustainability. Only one important finding per pillar will be examined in this essay to point out how important sustainable development is for ambitious, young inhabitants like me.

The second highest spending per capita on social welfare in the world speaks for itself when it comes to liveability in Zurich. Societal sustainability goals such as equality, tolerance and family are highly prioritized. In 2009, Zurich adopted an equality plan which included action points with regard to parity for women and men. For me as a woman, the action plan means more access to highly respected jobs in Zurich. Today, the top positions are still mainly occupied by men. As I am aiming for those positions in the next few years, the action plan supports my efforts along the line. The first results of it revealed an increase in the percentage of women in governmental positions: in 2015, 34 per cent of all governmental employees in Zurich were women.