Empa

Replacement parts for car repairs have a negative impact on the environment. By consistently repairing instead of replacing windshields and bumpers alone, Switzerland could save over 1000 tons of CO₂ per year. The insurance company AXA is now offering an assessment for repair workshops and introducing an industry label – based, among other things, on a study led by Empa researchers.

Empa researchers want to develop a novel type of insulating material from plant-based raw materials or waste products that can permanently bind the CO₂ it contains by means of a special heat treatment – and thus act as a CO₂ sink. What's more, once the buildings have been deconstructed, this "biochar" and the CO₂ it contains can be used in agriculture to increase soil fertility. The promising idea convinced several funding institutions, which are now supporting the concept financially.

Large amounts of particulate matter in the air are known to be harmful to human health. But many questions remain unanswered: Which components are particularly dangerous? At what concentrations? The "oxidative potential" of particulate matter could serve as a criterion for assessing risks in the future – and Empa researchers have explored it for Switzerland.

Synthetic energy carriers are carbon-neutral and make renewable energy transportable and storable in the long term. Synthetically produced methane is one of them. The problem: The production involves rather high energy losses; moreover, existing processes require the methane to be purified. To change this, Empa researchers have developed a new, optimized reactor concept for methanation.