Sustainable procurement

In accordance with the 2030 Implementation Strategy for the Sustainability Policy, UZH aims to take sustainability aspects into account throughout the entire life cycle (production, transportation, use, disposal) when procuring material goods and services. The aim is to meet the highest possible ecological and social standards.

Specific tips for sustainable procurement at UZH

Current information on sustainability in procurement at UZH can be found in the Sustainability Report (German). 
Sustainability Report

UZH operates «P4U», an internal purchasing platform. Employees are supported in the selection of sustainable products in two ways:

• Evaluation of suppliers: Before new suppliers are added to the platform's directory, they must submit a self-disclosure on sustainability. This is checked by an external service provider. The service provider also checks whether there are any negative media reports about the supplier. The sustainability rating based on this is shown using a red, yellow or green sheet (gray if there is no self-disclosure yet).

• Evaluation of products: Suppliers can label certain products in their range as «sustainable». However, there is no independent verification. Products declared as sustainable are highlighted in the purchasing platform with a symbol.

In October 2023, the updated Interkantonale Vereinbarung über das öffentliche Beschaffungswesen and the  totalrevidierte Submissionsverordnung came into force. As part of this, UZH updated its tender documents and strengthened sustainability aspects. When tendering for goods and services in the public procurement procedure, providers must sign a self-declaration that includes the international labor and social standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Sustainability requirements specifically promote quality competition. The most advantageous offer should then be awarded the contract.

The greatest reduction in environmental impact regarding procurement can be achieved by avoiding new purchases. At UZH, there are several platforms through which you can share or reuse equipment or office materials with others.

• Technology platforms: UZH's more than 30 technology platforms provide equipment – in some cases with the support of specialist staff. In this way, utilization rates of up to 90 percent can be achieved for the mostly highly specialized equipment. However, technology platforms can also be used to provide large amounts of data and analysis capacities.
  To the Technology platforms
• Shared equipment: This platform can be used to share both equipment and rooms with others.
  to the Shared equipment platform
• Equipment exchange: Equipment that is no longer needed can be passed on or obtained free of charge via the equipment exchange.
  to the «Gerätebörse»
• Office supplies exchange: Items that are no longer needed can be exchanged between organizational units free of charge via this exchange. The exchange is currently offline for technical reasons. UZH members can join the Team «Büromaterialbörse» on Teams to exchange office supplies.
  to the «Büromaterialbörse»

Use of shared-use plattforms 2018–2024 

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• With regard to servers, UZH is increasingly trying to bundle them and move them to virtual servers.
• Disused IT equipment that can no longer be used at UZH can be handed over to an external refurbisher to enable its continued use. The refurbisher prepares the devices and initially offers them for private purchase exclusively to UZH employees in its online store. After a certain period, they are offered for sale to the public.
  Pass on or buy used hardware
• All lecture hall computers at UZH were uninstalled in 2024.

Estimated GHG emissions (in t CO2 e) from the production, operation, and disposal of IT equipment by device type, 2018–2024.¹

This table is optimized for screen readers. The meaning of the superscript numbers is provided below the heading «Footnote».

Footnotes

1 Multifunctional devices could not be included due to missing data. The emission values ​​during the usage phase take into account the electricity mix of the respective year.
2 IT workstations consist of one laptop and one monitor per employee.
3 The values ​​from the Sustainability Report 2019/2020 are no longer listed because they only represented a small portion of the servers. From 2022 onwards, this includes servers managed by institutes and located in the data center's housing zone, as well as centrally managed servers of the Central IT Department. Servers operated decentrally in institute premises are not included. This data was not collected in detail before 2022. For servers, the disposal of the devices is not taken into account.
4 The values ​​from the Sustainability Report 2019/2020 are no longer listed because they only represented a small portion of the servers. From 2022 onwards, this includes servers managed by institutes and located in the data center's housing zone, as well as centrally managed servers of the Central IT Department. Servers operated decentrally in institute rooms are not included. This data was not collected in detail before 2022.
5 Average value from 2022 and 2024 for the servers of the Central IT Department.
6 Lecture hall computers consist of computers and screens. Cameras and touch panels, as well as decentrally managed servers, were not included.
7 No distinction is made between projectors and large screens.

UZH aims to use its furniture for as long as possible (some up to 30 years). Another aim of furniture management is to contribute to the circular economy. Furniture that is no longer functional is to be refurbished and reused. For example, old hanging file shelves are converted into lockable cupboards.
«ReCollection ZH» (German)

UZH has been running a furniture exchange for disused office furniture since 2022. Office furniture that is no longer used is offered for private purchase to students and employees.
UZH Furniture Occasion

The Rectorate Service is increasingly procuring reusable exhibition furniture for UZH museums and exhibitions and using it flexibly for several purposes in order to reduce new purchases.

UZH has had a «one-paper strategy» since 2018. According to this strategy, only one type of paper is sold at the UZH Material-Zentrum. This paper consists entirely of recycled fibers and meets the strict criteria of the «Blue Angel» label, which recognizes particularly environmentally friendly products. However, the organizational units can also purchase other types of copy or printer paper if required. In recent years, UZH has implemented several digitization projects e.g. offering electronic signatures for contracts, switching to electronic dispatch of salary statements which have also reduced paper consumption.

Source: Parts of this text were originally published in a similar form in German in the Sustainability Report 2021/2022 and have been continuously updated for this website.