Green Business: the sustainable solutions shaping our future
Press release, Bern, 3 April 2024
Fabric made from bananas, fuel from solar energy and a vertical factory – exceptional innovations have again been nominated for the 6th Green Business Award. Each year the award honours companies that combine ecological innovation with economic success. After all, if we want to preserve our plant for future generations, the economy must be part of the solution.
Resolving ecological challenges while achieving economic success? The 36 companies nominated for the Green Business Award show how this can be done. Around 20 partner organisations of the Award, including the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), Solar Impulse Foundation, Swiss Textiles and the WWF, have nominated an impressive field of innovative solutions from Switzerland: for example, a start-up that regenerates coral reefs, an intelligent cloud service that learns the behaviour of a building and a natural cosmetic company producing creams from plant residues.
Innovation in the construction and textile sector
Building technology that reduces CO2 consumption or recyclable construction materials: of note this year is the large number of companies representing the construction industry. ‘The building industry is responsible for around 38% of global CO2 emissions and has long since lagged behind other sectors in terms of sustainability. So it's particularly pleasing to see the sector recognise sustainability as a future business area’, said jury president and former federal councillor Doris Leuthard. The textile industry also has a strong showing this year, with examples including a biodegradable polyester substitute and a process to eliminate harmful chemicals in the manufacturing process. ‘I’m personally delighted by the numerous nominees in the textile sector – they are a strong and important counter signal to fast fashion consumption’, stated Cédric Habermacher, director of Green Business Switzerland.
How the sustainable solutions are judged
The judging process for the Green Business Award applies a unique, multi-stage procedure. From the nominees, a preliminary jury distinguishes the five best companies with the Green Business Excellence Label. These five companies then present their business pitch to the main jury presided over by president Doris Leuthard. Three of these companies will present their solutions to potential investors on 14 February 2025 at the Impact Circle event organised by Impact Gstaad in the hope of obtaining development financing – following the presentations the winner is then announced.
Jury president Doris Leuthard on the relevance of the award: ‘As private individuals we cannot rescue the planet alone – we need business. And business needs role models as pathfinders.’
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Green Business Award
Each year since 2019, the Green Business Award has been honouring the most innovative Swiss companies that combine ecological innovation with economic success. In the first phase of the selection process, around 20 national scouts from the realm of business and environmental protection nominate the best solutions from their sector for the award. From these, an interdisciplinary expert jury distinguishes the five best solutions with the Green Business Excellence Label. These five companies present their business pitch to the main jury presided over by former federal councillor Doris Leuthard. The jury is also made up of 14 other well-known personalities, including Reto Knutti (ETH professor in climate physics), Betrand Piccard (Solar Impulse), Roberto Cirillo (CEO of Swiss Post) and business journalist and entrepreneur Patrizia Laeri. Three of these five companies are selected as finalists for the Green Business Award, with the winning company presented with the coveted award on 14 February 2025 during the Impact Circle event organised by Impact Gstaad.
Green Business Switzerland
Green Business Switzerland highlights the positive connection between entrepreneurial success and sustainable action. Supporters of this forward-looking cooperation between key players from the realm of business and environmental protection include Go for Impact, BAFU, economiesuisse, öbu, Pusch, Schweizerische Umweltstiftung, Scienceindustries, Swissmem, Swiss Textiles and WWF Switzerland.
Partners
Swiss Post and La Mobilière insurance group support the award as partners and pioneers of sustainability in their respective sectors.
Nominees at a glance (listed in alphabetical order)
| Company | Solution | Brief description |
| 1h2o3 | MBBR Box – Modular construction of drinking water systems | Using the standardised modular components from 1H2o3, potable water and waste water treatment systems can be easily and efficiently constructed to save on water consumption. |
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Zurich | Online marketplace for green coffee | Algrano connects coffee producers directly with roasters. Producers set their own price and earn more by dispensing with intermediary traders. Roasters have full control over their supply chain and the share of certified coffee is three times higher than the sector average, in turn reducing the CO2 footprint from cultivation. Consolidated shipping also reduces dead freight. |
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Egliswil, AG | CO2 upcycling with CoMeth system | The solution from AlphaSYNT transforms CO2 into a high-quality energy source that can be easily transported and stored. CO2 upcycling replaces fossil fuels, consequently cutting millions of tons of fossil CO2 each year. |
| bluesign technologies AG | bluesign® System – environmentally friendly textile production | The bluesign® system is used in textile production. The system eliminates harmful substances at the very start of the production process and sets and controls standards to achieve safe, environmentally friendly production from fibre to finished garment. |
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Bern | Plastic-free fishing bait | Capt'n Greenfin is sustainably revolutionising the fishing industry by developing new, sustainable materials that are used to manufacture environmentally friendly fishing products. The aim is to maintain a healthy ecosystem and stop the pollution of our waters. |
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Winterthur, ZH | Sustainable building technology | Citra develops, designs and builds houses and estates with its own building technology, which is free of steel, bricks or concrete. The technology reduces CO2 emissions during construction by 75% and in application by 100% to achieve net-zero emissions for houses. Building costs are reduced by 20% and construction periods by up to 80% compared to traditional houses. |
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Zurich | delta-climateTM – climate risk analysis | CLIMADA Technologies has developed delta-climateTM, a climate risk analysis software that uses public data as the basis for future-oriented analyses. These analyses of acute and long-term risks support regulatory requirements, the assessment of climate resilience and identify opportunities for climate adaptation. |
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Zurich | dimpora® - recyclable outdoor clothing | The technology used to make clothing waterproof is often harmful to the environment. Dimpora AG has developed the only technology in the world that enables recyclability and is 100% toxin-free. |
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Zurich | Ultrasound camera | Distran ultrasound cameras quickly detect gas leaks from a safe distance, consequently reducing emissions and protecting people and systems. The cameras are used in various industries, such as the oil and gas, chemical and power generation sectors. |
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Zurich | Car sharing platform | Drivemycar is a car sharing platform. Using drivebox from drivemycar, vehicle owners can measure the condition of their vehicle, kilometrage, consumption, movement and capacity. Companies, for example, can control and optimise their vehicle fleet and also automate sharing. |
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Winterthur, ZH | Electric transporters | The electric, emission-free transporters from Flux Mobility are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional transport vehicles. Thanks to the modular construction, vehicles such as ambulances, container cleaners and panel vans drive greener. |
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Villigen, AG | HeiQ AeoniQ(TM) – the sustainable polyester substitute | HeiQ AeoniQ(TM) is a cellulosic yarn that can replace polyester and other filament yarns and is biodegradable in 12 weeks. The yarn uses renewable resources such as agricultural waste. The replacement of polyester prevents microplastic pollution and the build-up of land-fill sites. |
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Oberdiessbach, BE | Polyfoil® MMB recyclable tubes | Polyfoil® MMB from Hoffmann Neopac is a recyclable tube used for, amongst other things, toothpaste, creams and cosmetics. The patented tube combines premium protection with aesthetics and sustainability. It uses considerably less plastic and CO2 than conventional tubes. |
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Geneva, GE | The most innovative eco-watch | ID Genève watches are made from locally sourced 100% recycled stainless steel and feature wrist straps made from plant-based textiles, whereby the aim is to constantly optimise the product life cycle. |
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Dierikon, LU | Vertical factory | A space-saving and sustainable new build? Housed in close proximity over six floors within the vertical factory belonging to Komax - the technology leader in automated wire processing - are the development, production and administration departments. The design and construction of the building support the power and air-conditioning aspects such as natural ventilation and lighting, heat protection in summer and cooling at night, in turn reducing the amount of building technology required. |
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Satigny, GE | Production of recycling bronze | Using an innovative process, Kugler Bimetal recycles bronze and processes bronze chips into eco-briquettes. Able to withstand extreme operating conditions, the parts are consequently used in the aviation, energy, hydraulic and transport industries. |
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Langenthal, BE
| DIGITAL DEEP DYEING technology | Conventional aircraft carpets are dyed using a yarn dying process. This process is slow, energy-intensive and often results in heavy carpets. Lantal Textiles carpet technology digitalises the manufacturing process, simultaneously reducing water and CO2 consumption as well as waste. The ultralight material also reduces aircraft weight. |
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Chur, GR | Sustainable, innovative clothing | Muntagnard, the high-quality Swiss fashion label, focuses on waste minimisation, degradable materials, durability and recycling. Muntagnard also provides a repair service and has a traceable value chain. |
| New Roots AG | Plant-based cheese and dairy products | New Roots develops, produces and sells plant-based, protein-rich cheese and dairy alternatives manufactured using traditional Swiss production techniques. |
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Dietikon, ZH | Cement-free admixture and binding agent technology | Oxara develops cement-free and therefore climate-friendly building materials. Using its patented technology, Oxara transforms mineral waste materials that otherwise often end up in landfills into sustainable building materials. |
| Planet Horizons Technologies AG
Sierre, VS | AQUA4D – | AQUA4D water treatment technology reduces water consumption, controls salt content in the soil and improves plant nutrient and fertilizer uptake. Using this method AQUA4D is combating two agricultural challenges: water shortage and soil degradation. |
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Vufflens-la-Ville, VD | Plateforme la Plaine – building waste upcycling system | Plateforme la Plaine upcycles building waste to produce high quality recycled cement, thereby promoting a local circular economy in the construction sector while reducing the ecological footprint. |
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Zurich | Bananatex® – fabric made from bananas | Made by the QWSTION brand, Bananatex® is the first plastic-free, biodegradable fabric produced from Abacá banana fibre. The bananas are grown sustainably in the Philippines without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or additional water, thereby contributing to reforestation and biodiversity while raising the income of local farmers. Bananatex® works with brands from the fashion, shoe and furniture industries. |
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Steinhausen, ZG | Mobile lifecycle solutions | Recommerce AG extends the life of mobile devices and reduces production of new devices through a buyback and resale platform and a repair centre. Old devices can be exchanged using the trade-in program. |
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Zurich | Reviving decimated coral reefs | rrreefs is reviving decimated coral reefs with an innovative solution: artificial reef modules promote the growth of coral and are better able to withstand the impact of climate change. Companies can invest in the protection of coral reefs and biodiversity. Through its cooperation with local partners, rrreefs is creating both ecological and socio-economic benefits. |
| Schöni Transport AG | Co2-reduced transport
| Schöni Transport AG aims to be the first Swiss transport company to offer fully CO2-neutral transport services – achieving 80% through in-house measures and 20% by offsetting. In pursuit of this aim the company uses alternative drive forms and biogenic fuels. |
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Kerzers, FR | Waste-to-value | Selfrag extracts valuable metals and minerals – not from the earth, but from slag from waste incineration plants. With a recovery rate of 50%, which is the highest in the sector, Selfrag is making a substantial contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and is helping to close the gap in achieving a fully complete circular economy. |
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Zurich | Purform® – climate-friendly adhesive technology | Purform® technology is fundamentally transforming sealants and adhesives. Products last longer, stain less and release fewer hazardous chemicals into the environment. Amongst other applications, Purform® can be used to seal and bond windscreens and floor coverings. |
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Zurich | CO2-neutral solar fuels | Synhelion make fuels using solar energy. These fuels replace fossil fuels, such as kerosene, petrol and diesel, to enable CO₂-neutral mobility, particularly in the aviation industry. Synhelion’s fuels are CO₂-neutral in that they release only as much CO₂ during combustion as was used for their manufacture. |
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Lengnau, Bern | #tide ocean material – raw materials from plastic waste | #tide ocean material collects and processes waste plastic found in the sea to make raw materials for watches, furniture and clothing. The raw materials are used by brands such as Maurice Lacroix, Tom Ford, Hugo Boss and Winter & Company. |
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Urnäsch, AR | Digital proof of origin for wood | Urstamm is using digital proof of origin for wood to promote transparency in the forestry and timber industry. The Urstamm app documents the use of wood and displays the resulting positive environmental impact, including through the presentation of CO2 savings and regional value added. |
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Dübendorf, ZH | Smart bike parking | Bicycles that are parked in public places are often vandalised or stolen. With its smart, digital bike-parking system, V-Locker provides secure lockers for bikes and luggage, in turn encouraging the transition from cars. |
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Dübendorf, ZH | Forward-looking regulation for smart thermostats | viboo offers a cloud platform that learns the thermal behaviour of a building within one to two weeks. With the aid of smart thermostats and AI, the temperature behaviour of a building is predicted for the next few hours to optimise energy consumption. Factors including the weather forecast and user preferences are also taken into account to achieve energy savings of up to 40%. |
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Château-d'Oex, VD | Competence centre for change | The ‘Votre Cercle de Vie’ farm has switched to biodynamic agriculture and brought together under one roof the farm, an educational eco-friendly hotel, holistic restaurant, health food shop and a natural health room. |
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Zurich | Indoor vertical herb farming | The vertical farming company YASAI grows herbs in indoor circular stacks that use 95% less water and generate up to 200 times greater yield per square meter. Production continues all-year round in Zurich, free of chemical pesticides and using renewable energy. |
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Les Evouettes, VS | ZiZAN!A Biobotanica – Swiss clean beauty | ZiZAN!A transforms plant residues created in the production of seeds into cosmetic products, thereby minimising food waste. The cosmetics range is distinguished by natural, sustainable ingredients and formulas. |
