SIB, Sustainability Initiatives at D-BSSE
The “Sustainability Initiatives @D-BSSE” (SIB), was founded in 2021 to advocate for more sustainability at the D-BSSE. We are committed to rethinking and reducing the negative environmental impact within and around our biotechnological research ecosystem. To this end, we initiate fun events that promote sustainability and make us reevaluate our life- and working styles for a better planet.
The SIB is currently focusing on the following four different areas:
Events
By organizing and promoting events, we offer D-BSSE members the chance to get valuable information on current topics related to sustainability. Events include talks, workshops, film screenings, and more. SIB events will be communicated by email and social media. If you are also interested in other events in Basel, follow us on social media where we share more events.
Greener Research
Scientists are no exception when it comes to producing a lot of waste. But what can we do to reduce our environmental footprint while keeping our science on a high-quality level? The SIB is exploring ways of reducing the footprint of the departement and supports initiatives such as the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), a practical tool that allows you to assess and improve the footprint of your lab. You can get more information and access to the LEAF platform here.
Communication
Our unique location here in Basel provides us with a great opportunity to connect ETH with other institutions. By staying connected with like-minded people, we strengthen our collaborations and ultimately our impact on the environment.
See what the external page Nachhaltigkeit AG (Sustainability Working Group) at Uni Basel is up to or our fellow colleagues of the Student Sustainability Commission (SSC) of ETH Zurich.
Upcoming events:
New Events for 2025 are in Planning!
Stay tuned
Past events:
LEAF challenge - Become D-BSSE’s Greenest Lab
Learn how to make your lab more sustainable Become LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework)-certified
Win a dinner or pizza party for your lab!
Estimated Effort: 1-10 hours
Deadline: January 15th, 2024
Climate Cafe
Join the Seminar of Jeroen Dobbelaere at D-BSSE and learn more about sustainable research.
28th of November 2023
Veggie BBQ #2
Join our Vegetarian and Vegan BBQ organized by the VMB (staff association of BSSE), SIB (sustainability initiative of BSSE), and AG Nachhatligkeit (sustainability initiative of UniBasel).
Fermentation Workshop #2
Fermentation preserves food, makes it tastier and possibly even healthier - also, it is easier to do at home than you think! In this workshop, we will make fermented vegetables, tempeh, and water kefir. Collect your empty glass jars and get ready to take home some tasty foods and new skills! The next Fermentation Workshop will be part of the Sustainability Week Basel and take place on 23 March 2023. Sign up sheets will be send by e-mail!
Movie Night #3
The next movie screening will be part of the Sustainability Week Basel and take place in March 2023. Check back later for more infos!
Movie Night #2
It's movie night again! Join us for our second edition of the 'positive outlook' series and see how less is more. Maybe this is exactly the food for thought you need for the upcoming holiday season ;)
Snacks and drinks on a collection basis (collection goes to external page publiceye.ch)
When: 16.11. at 18:30h | Where: Verso (Uni Basel)
Sustainable Approaches to Women's Health
Did you know that women's health is part of the United Nations external page Sustainable Development Goals? Join our panel discussion with Prof. Margherita Turco (external page FMI), Dr. Cinzia Donato (external page Scailyte) and Oriana Kraft (external page FemTech) to learn how you can support and improve women’s health through sustainable approaches. EVERYONE is welcome!
When: 15.11. at 18:00h | Where: Biozentrum U1.101
Fermentation Workshop
Learn how simple it can be to ferment food and make your own Kimchi and Tempeh. You don't need any previous knowledge as this workshop will teach you everything you need to know. Be sure to join us on the 18.10. at 17:30h in the Science Lounge. Please bring some clean jars for your fermented delicacies.
Movie Night - Kiss the Ground
The first movie screening from our 'positive outlook' movie screening series will take place on 28.09. and feature “Kiss the Ground”. This powerful film explores how regenerative agriculture can be used to help restore nature. The Science Lounge will be ready for you from 18:00 onwards to mingle with others. The screening starts at 18:30 and will be closed with a short discussion (15-20 min).
Meet SIB
We are celebrating one year of great achievements, a growing community and fun times. You are curious about what we do? Join us on 7.9. at 17:30h in the Science Lounge to learn more about us and maybe we can welcome YOU as a new SIB member soon! To spice things up, you will have the chance to win a voucher for the 'Unverpackt' store in Basel!
Veggie BBQ & Home-Brewed Beer
What's better than to celebrate summer with a BBQ? Join us and VMB for our joint veggie BBQ and experience first-hand how delicious meatless can be. Additionally, we treat you with some home-brewed beer. Please bring your own cuttlery, cup and plate.
When & where: 05.08.2022 at 17:30h, St. Johanns Park
Freezer Challenge Closing Event
Vegan ice cream form Gelateria di Berna, a cool way to end the 2022 International Freezer Challenge, get the D-BSSE members together and create space for exchange. We hope you learned some useful tips & tricks along the way! For more infos see freezerchallenge.org
When & where: 13.07.2022 at 12:45h, Science Lounge
Museums Tour - "Earth at its Limits" Exhibition
What is our role in nature? What are the longterm consequences of our actions? How can we shape the future? Have your questions answered by joining us for a free guided tour (in English) at the external page "Earth at its Limits" Exhibition on Sunday, 24.04.2022 at 15:30h. The costs for the entrance and tour are covered by SIB.
Sustainability Week Basel
The Sustainability Week took place from 21st until 25th of March 2022. As a local offshoot of the Sustainability Week Switzerland, we had plenty of interesting events covering a wide range of topics planned for everybody. More information including the full program can be found on the external page main organizers website. SIB is a proud partner and was involved in the organization of many events.
Pub Quiz
Do you want to learn more about your impact on our environment and how to live a more sustainable life? Or do you already know everything and want to use your knowledge to brag in front of your friends and colleagues?
konsumGLOBAL
This guided tour through the city of Basel was led by konsumGLOBAL. We explored sustainable stores and learned about the process of jeans production and the impact of imported food on the environment.
Past projects:
Print media survey
Print media are the traditional way of communicating information to people. But in the era of technology, the SIB is advocating for a more conscious distribution of media to its recipients. You can find the survey results Download here (PDF, 533 KB).
P.S. Did you know that you can change your delivery/subscription of personally addressed ETH-related magazines (e.g. Treffpunkt Science City, Globe Magazine etc.)? Go to www.bi.id.ethz.ch/eAdressen and adjust your subscription in the tab “Versendungen/Deliveries”.
The "Instead of" challenge
Are you aware of the great amount of energy and consumables we use to power our research every day? Most of it is necessary, but not all. This is why we've created the “Instead Of” Challenge! It aims to spread good practices in reducing waste while maintaining productivity in our daily activities and to share these ideas with our peers. The more people join, the greater the impact! Find all the details Download here (PDF, 180 KB).
Green Roofing
Usually hidden and ignored yet, important spaces for a balanced city ecosystem are the roofs of big buildings. An extensively greened roof can contribute to a healthier city climate. Thus, we are working in collaboration with the University of Basel’s “Verein Dachbegrünung Region Basel” (Society for Green Roofing in Basel) and Dr. Dominik Brem from ETH to increase the efforts to extensively green the roof of the new D-BSSE building.
Find useful resources to change your habits and boost your knowledge!
- LEAF platfrom - make your lab greener
- external page Netflix and Think - SIB's documentary collection
- external page Sustainability Map Basel (credits: AG Nachhaltigkeit, University of Basel)
- ETH Sustainability Office
- ETH Sustainability Course Catalog
- external page Infos about the Sustainable Development Goals
Slides from SIB's Digital Campus presentations (22.02.2022):
- Download Nina's Sustainability in Education at D-BSSE (PDF, 2.3 MB) (including the results of the live poll)
- Download Margarita's Sustainable day-to-day computing (PDF, 2.6 MB) (with useful practical tips)
Slides from Loïc Lannelongue's talk (21.10.2022)
Also check out our partners' websites to find even more resources:
Student Sustainability Commission (SSC) - ETH Zurich
external page AG Nachhaltigkeit - University of Basel
You are always welcome to suggest more useful platforms to share with your colleagues. Contact us via sib@bsse.ethz.ch and we will have a look at it.
Feel free to contact us via sib@bsse.ethz.ch
SIB team head
- Locationlocation_onBSS H 43.1
- Phonephone+41 61 387 31 64
- Emailemailxenia.ficht@bsse.ethz.ch
- contactsvCard Download
Professur für Systemphysiologie
Klingelbergstrasse 48
4056 Basel
Switzerland