Sustainability in mobility
Sustainability is currently an important topic – and in particular with a view to the future. The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) wants to set an example in the energy and climate area with its «Action Plan Climate and Energy». armasuisse Science and Technology (S+T) is making a contribution to this. It deals with the challenges, risks and opportunities of these efforts for a resource-saving and energy-efficient department, according to its role and function.
Sarah Trösch and Hanspeter Kaufmann, Staff, competence sector Science and Technology
Focusing on the area of mobility in the DDPS, armasuisse S+T is researching possible alternative forms of power, alternative power generation methods, energy storage and improvements in efficiency. Sustainable fuels are one of the main research topics here.
If you move, you need energy, and a relatively large amount at that. In actual fact, movement is one of the largest energy consumers, from a technical point of view. Mobility is therefore becoming the focus of sustainability. This starts with avoiding unnecessary movements, both on the ground as well as in the air. If the options for prevention are exhausted, the question arises as to how sustainability can be achieved with regard to the means of mobility themselves. At first glance, this might appear simple, but is becomes considerably more complicated when defence-specific tasks need to be taken into account. In particular, this affects the mobility of the Land Forces and the Air Force.
Although companies have been offering ever more fascinating and sustainable solutions for several decades, these offers only seldom meet all the essential requirements which are crucial for fulfilling the tasks of the Armed Forces, particularly in extraordinary situations. Alternative forms of power, for example, which manage without fossil fuels, must thus function reliably, even under the most adverse conditions. Regardless of whether electric motors or combustion engines are used. One particular challenge is providing fuels which offer the necessary sustainability at affordable prices. On a practical basis, we will clarify at armasuisse S+T in close exchange with the Armed Forces which restrictions can effectively be expected and which opportunities a change to different fuels would involve. Less conspicuous than road and air traffic but no less important is troop operation in terrain. In technical terms, sustainable technologies for providing electricity and heat are available for this purpose. However, the required procurement pressure to implement these technologies comprehensively is still lacking.
Our role here includes the demonstration of the practical use of sustainable technologies for army operations. We provide application-specific advice and compare the most suitable technology offerings in research and industry. Based on this information, we provide support in the procurement and supply of armaments.
«Action plan energy and climate» - a concept for a greener department
Our research in the area of sustainability supports the overarching tasks of the department. With its «Action Plan Energy and Climate», the DDPS is defining its energy goals for the years 2021 to 2030. The DDPS has a clear vision on its path to stability: The DDPS’ carbon footprint will be compensated by 2050 at the latest (net zero). The department covers its energy requirements primarily from renewable sources and produces the energy it requires itself, as far as possible.
The aim is to achieve the goals by expanding own production plants for energy. In one of our pilot projects, for example, we intend to test the extent to which energy from renewable sources can be stored in the form of fuel. In a further step, it is important to enter internal and external partnerships and to thus systematically discover and implement further innovations and developments in the energy and climate area.
armasuisse aware of its responsibility
armasuisse generally takes responsibility for the environment and future generations. Sustainability is therefore a key component in its corporate strategy. armasuisse is thus certified according to ISO 14001. This standard, which defines the specifications for environmental management in industrial and service companies, requires the existence of a comprehensive environmental management system. This consists of the following main aspects: an environmental policy, comprehensive planning, implementation and execution, a check as well as assessment by top management. The quality and efficiency of the examinations is increased by modern methods of analysis. You can find out more on the topic of sustainability at armasuisse S+T in the other articles in this series: Including more details on the Energy Day, the simulation laboratory of armasuisse S+T and the personal point of view of Hanspeter Kaufmann, scientific project manager at armasuisse S+T, in an interview.
Infobox on the Paris Climate Agreement:
In 2015, a groundbreaking climate agreement was approved at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, where, for the first time, all nations were obligated to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Agreement aims, on the one hand, to limit the average global warming temperature to considerably lower than two degrees – compared with pre-industrial times – while on the other hand to improve adaptability to a changing climate.
Switzerland is implementing these international obligations first and foremost in the CO2 Act. In the first step, it has committed to reducing its emissions up to 2030 by 50% compared with 1990. In addition, it was announced that Switzerland wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.