Energy is key to our vision for becoming a sustainable school. The City of Zurich has set a target of net zero emissions by 2035 and the EU plans to reduce emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. To reach these targets, we all need to play our part. At ZIS, we want to become more energy efficient and, at the same time, produce as much of our own energy as possible. 

I want to change the world – and school is a great place to start! That’s why I’m very happy that ZIS is not just installing solar panels but also promoting what it’s doing to the whole school community. Exposure to renewable energy technologies encourages us students to think differently – and talk about our thoughts with our families and friends. That means solar gets more exposure, which in turn attracts more attention. It’s a perfect domino effect. 

I’m so excited that we’re switching to 100 per cent green energy. We’re practicing what we preach – and the students can see that. Take our Beyond the Classroom service learning opportunity, where 30 students and I carried out a full study of the energy the school could produce. 

I think it’s great that ZIS is not just installing solar panels but getting us students involved, too. Our Beyond the Classroom initiative, for example, had us building and installing our own solar panels, then tracking the data they produced. It’s so important to engage students: after all, we’re the ones who are thinking about the future and the bigger picture.

In today’s digital age – where children often spend a significant amount of time on their phones and tablets– I think it’s crucial to foster their critical thinking and teamwork skills. That’s why, as a parent of a six-year-old and a 12-year-old who tries to foster these skills in my children daily, I’m supporting the campaign to raise money for solar panels at ZIS, because it actively promotes both these qualities.

I’m proud to support ZIS’s solar panels – it means the school is taking steps in the right direction. I think about this a lot, because my job is guiding companies to do exactly what ZIS is doing – integrating renewable energy systems into their existing systems and decarbonising their operations. How can they do this? What might be the impacts, and how should they deal with those?