Interactive exhibit
Net zero by 2040
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Its consequences are also being felt in the city of Zurich. Climate change is driven by greenhouse gases that we emit every day – for example, when heating our buildings, through our mobility or through our behaviour as consumers. We must take action to significantly reduce global warming. The city of Zurich has set itself the climate protection goal of net zero by 2040. This means that Zurich intends to become carbon-neutral within the city limits, i.e. in terms of direct greenhouse gas emissions. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions are also to be reduced. These occur outside the city limits, but are caused by our activities. The Zurich electorate approved these climate protection goals in 2022 with a clear majority of 75%.
The exhibit shows what Zurich will be implementing in the urban area by 2040 in terms of direct emissions in the areas of mobility, buildings and waste disposal as part of its climate protection efforts. The relevance of greenhouse gas emissions per sector and the planned reduction path can be observed in the net zero cockpit.
Illustration of Zurich
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MORE CLEAN POWERTRAINS, LESS ENGINE NOISE
Do you own a car yourself or do you use services like car sharing? – Motorised transport that cannot be shifted or avoided in the future should be as environmentally friendly as possible: energy-efficient, quiet and clean – thanks to electric mobility, car sharing and better utilisation of vehicles. The city of Zurich is setting a good example in this regard: The entire VBZ bus fleet will be electrified by 2035. In addition, the charging infrastructure for e-mobility on private property is being specifically promoted.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORT, CYCLING AND WALKING, FEWER CARS
How do you get around town? – The city of Zurich is continuously expanding its public transport network, improving services and, at the same time, creating an attractive, safe infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. This will accelerate the shift away from motorised individual transport, for example with new cycle priority routes or safe routes to school. Zurich also aims to optimally connect the various modes of transport so that they support each other.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MORE LOCAL LIFE, FEWER LONG DISTANCES
How far is your commute to school or work? – Various transport planning and urban development infrastructure measures are intended to create a “city of short distances”, without compromising accessibility or the quality of life. This requires, for example, strong neighbourhood centres, solutions for urban logistics and commercial transport, and appropriate traffic management. The population, organisations and companies can also contribute to shortening distances by using local and decentralised services or by offering jobs there.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY, LESS OIL AND GAS
What heating system do you use in your home? – By 2040, 100% of the thermal energy in the city of Zurich is to come from renewable energy, waste heat or energy recovery from thermal waste treatment. To achieve this, around 20 000 oil and gas heating systems must be replaced by district heating connections or heat pumps. To achieve this, municipal energy suppliers are expanding their thermal networks. At the same time, the city is coordinating the decommissioning of gas distribution networks and supporting property owners with information, advice and financial support for heating replacement.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MODERNISE AND OPTIMISE MORE, HEAT LESS
How much do you have to heat or cool? – The available climate-friendly energy sources are limited. Consequently, the thermal energy requirements of buildings must also be reduced – by 20% by 2040. This goal can be achieved by property owners increasingly modernising their buildings to make them more energy efficient, optimising the operation of building technology, using heated building space efficiently and limiting the use of heating. The city is setting a good example with its own properties and is supporting other owners through advice and support programmes.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
MORE CO₂ IN THE SOIL, LESS CO₂ IN THE AIR
Do you know what negative emissions are? – CO₂ is produced at the Werdhölzli sewage sludge treatment and biogas plant and the Hagenholz waste-to-energy plant. With the carbon capture and storage (CCS) process, this CO₂ can be captured at the facilities and then stored long-term. If the CO₂ originates from the treatment of biogenic materials such as plants or organic waste, it is referred to as negative emissions. These can offset other unavoidable emissions.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
The 2025 net zero progress report estimated that 16% of the city of Zurich’s emissions were direct and 84% were indirect.
Illustration: KreativKonsum
Where can we make a difference in climate protection?
Currently, the city of Zurich generates greenhouse gas emissions amounting to around 15 tonnes of CO₂eq per inhabitant per year. Around a third of this is generated in the mobility sector, primarily through air and car traffic. In the building sector, fossil fuel heating systems in urban areas cause direct greenhouse gas emissions, while indirect emissions result, for example, from the production of building materials. In terms of indirect greenhouse gas emissions, animal products are the major contributors to CO₂eq emissions in the food sector. In the consumption sector, the manufacture of consumer goods such as clothing, furniture and IT equipment is particularly significant.
Direct greenhouse gas emissions
are generated within the city limits and are caused, for example, by road traffic, heating buildings or converting waste into energy.
Indirect greenhouse gas emissions
occur outside the city limits but are caused by the activities and decisions of the city of Zurich’s population. They arise, for example, in the production of food, goods and services that we purchase and consume, or in mobility outside the city. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions account for the majority of all emissions. We can make a difference in our daily lives by
- keeping materials and goods in circulation longer
- reducing food waste and animal products
- flying and driving less
Further information on the city of Zurich’s climate protection goals and climate protection activities within and outside the city limits can be found at stadt-zuerich.ch/klimaschutz. Data and forecasts on the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions of the city of Zurich can be found in the net zero cockpit.