Our commitment to a sustainable event


With Showcase, we believe that walking the talk is essential. As we convene to explore solutions for a just and sustainable future, we are equally committed to embedding sustainability into every aspect of the event itself. This means minimizing our environmental footprint, promoting responsible practices, and collaborating with local actors who share our vision.

We aim to set an example by reducing emissions, waste, and energy use—while maximizing positive impact through meaningful partnerships and conscious choices.

 

♻️ Our Sustainability Priorities

1. Waste Reduction

We work to limit incinerable waste to the bare minimum by encouraging recycling, composting, and the use of reusable or repurposed materials across the event. Booths, signage, and decor are designed for multiple uses. A scenographer specializing in circular design ensures that the aesthetics reflect our values.

2. Sustainable Mobility

We encourage all participants to arrive using public transportation or soft mobility options such as walking or cycling. In line with our internal policy, we do not support air travel for speakers when a train alternative exists, reinforcing our commitment to low-carbon choices.

3. Responsible Catering

In partnership with the SwissTech Convention Center caterer, we offer seasonal, local, and fully meat-free meals. This approach significantly reduces our carbon footprint and supports more ethical food systems.

4. Local Partnerships

We collaborate with regional suppliers to minimize transport-related emissions and support the local economy. All service providers are selected with sustainability criteria in mind.

5. Measuring Our Impact

With the support of MyClimate, we assess the carbon footprint of the event and seek opportunities for continuous improvement in future editions.

Our Impact in 2024

The 2024 edition had more participants than in 2023. However, we successfully managed to reduce the event’s ecological footprint. As last year, we used the STTC tool powered by MyClimate to measure the event’s carbon emissions and better inform our current and future decisions to ultimately reduce our carbon footprint.

Total Emissions in 2024

18.1 tons of CO2 

(2023: 19.8t)

Average Emissions

0.026 ton per participant

(2023: 0.032t)

Breakdown of main sources of emissions in 2024

Transportation

13.7 tons of CO2, vs 15.5 in 2023 We encouraged participants to arrive by public transport or bike in all our communication efforts (briefing to speakers, registration form, etc.) Only 5.5% of participants arrived by motorized vehicle, whereas the majority (94.5%) arrived on foot, by bike or with public transportation.

Material & Waste

2 tons of CO2, vs 2.3 in 2023 Printed material has been limited to the strict necessary to avoid paper consumption. We limited printing to badges in the most recycled paper possible (Gobi FSC 290g) from the EPFL print shop. In particular, we thought of a circular concept for our scenography to limit our waste and prevent the one-off use of roll-ups.

Food & Beverage

1.8 tons of CO2, vs 1.4 in 2023 We worked with STCC’s local caterer Eldora to provide a menu that prioritizes locally-sourced, seasonal, and vegetarian only products. For protein alternatives, we engaged with Planted to offer plant-based meat alternatives. Additionally, we asked participants to confirm their attendance to the lunch and apero beforehand, leading to having no food leftovers at the end of the event.