Sustainable consumption has become a significant trend in the last years. How is this positive trend reflected in sales of environmentally friendly products? Do we observe spectacular growth rates in niche markets or a 'greening of mass markets'? Do green products replace standard products or not? Those questions are addressed in a study on the market development of green products conducted by INFRAS on behalf of the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA). The results reveal that sales of 'green' products are on the steady rise, but remain in niches in most areas of consumption. However, there is a willingness from the consumers for an increased demand of environmentally friendly products that were sustainably produced.

The study calculates the external and social environmental, accident and health-related effects of transport in Switzerland in 2010. In doing so, previous calculations are subject to a methodological review, and recalculated using fully updated data sources. The external costs of air and waterborne transport as well as non-motorised transport (pedestrian and cycle traffic) are calculated for the first time.Aggregated across the four modes of transport, total external costs come to over CHF 9,400 million for 2010. At CHF 5,500 million, private motorised road transport is the main originator of these external costs, followed by road freight transport at CHF 1,000 million. Air transport resulted in external costs of CHF 920 million, while rail transport accounts for CHF 740 million and waterborne transport generated external costs of CHF 57 million. In addition to external costs of CHF 900 million, non-motorised transport generates external health benefits worth CHF 1,300 million.

The sustainable development in the Swiss hotel industry shows a diverse picture. While the fields of economy and society have suffered under the economic development of the last years, the efforts towards a better environmental protection have headed in a positive direction.This is the conclusion of the first monitoring of the Swiss hotel industry. The monitoring presents a comprehensive overview regarding the sustainability within the Swiss hotel industry and how it has developed during the last years.The study pays special attention to the subjects of mobility and procurement, considering these as two key aspects of a sustainable development in the Swiss hotel industry. The study provides tips for a sustainable shaping of hotel operations and also presents practice examples of how different hotels are active regarding mobility and sustainable procurement.

The energy policy of the Swiss Federal Council intends to strengthen renewable energies and energy efficiency with energy suppliers in order to guide the demand in this direction. For this purpose, INFRAS and the Association for Environmentally Sound Energy (VUE) have developed a benchmarking on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (BFE). The benchmarking examines the efforts of the energy suppliers in the areas energy efficiency and renewable energies on the basis of practice-related criteria from seven fields of action (strategy, production, service/products). The results show considerable differences between the energy suppliers, there are, however, signs visible for the energy turnaround. There are noticeable efforts in the right direction by the energy suppliers in all the action fields, in particular in the field of the energy services. However, in principle, there is still a potential for improvement, especially concerning the rehabilitation of hydropower plants and concerning the supply mixture.

Based on a newly created pool containing data of the Road Traffic Accident Register, other registers of the Swiss Federal Roads Office as well as from various other data sources, the influence of vehicle properties on road accidents are being examined: Passenger cars are involved in an accident every 900'000 km on average and take part in the vast majority of all accidents on Swiss roads. Trams show a comperatively high accident rate, however, they are mostly operating in heavy traffic in urban areas where interactions with other road users are frequent. Trams are very rarely identified as the responsible party in accidents. Also high accident rates are observed with e-bikes (pedelecs). Compared to conventional bicycles their accident rates are considerably higher. The accident rates of motorcycles are more than twice as high as the ones of passenger cars.

The guidance document summarizes the procedures required in order to gather and process data needed to prepare the energy statistic of the canton St. Gallen. The energy statistic aims at recording all existing energy related processes including the production, transformation and consumption of energy. Furthermore the annual total amount of energy consumed in the canton of St. Gallen will be revealed. The guidance provides instructions on how data on disaggregated level should be measured or collected. Where data is not available, the guidance further highlights realistic assumptions and methods for estimating the energy consumption for each energy related sector.

This technical note for the Worldbank is a mapping exercise of key elements and design features of offset programs (e.g. CDM, JCM and GS) and highlights differences and similarities between them. It identifies main elements and design features of eight different offset programs and discusses how these programs address key issues such as efficiency, environmental integrity, applicability, and transaction costs. It elaborates on the program's principles and goals, their operationalized principles, the respective governance structure, registration procedures and MRV and credit issuance procedures. 

While in the recent years the mobility in the context of everyday life has almost stagnated in Central Europe, long-distance mobility continues to grow substantially. Against this background, the study at hand presents a lay of the land with regard to current trends and future perspectives of long-distance mobility in Central Europe, with a particular focus on Germany. In speaking of long-distance mobility, the study refers to all trips of more than 100 km (one-way).The segment of long trips to very distant destinations is dominated by holiday travel which accounts for a third of the long-distance passenger mileage. However, in the last ten years little has changed in this segment with regard to the number of trips, the average trip distance, and the use of transport modes.The segments of long-distance mobility which are currently growing most substantially and will continue to do so in the mid-term future are business trips and long trips in the context of everyday life, e.g. long-distance commuting. Important driving factors for this development are the demographic development and the evolution of settlement patterns, both of which also promote multi-local lifestyles.

INFRAS supported the Office of the Environment in preparing its 6th National Communication under the UNFCCC and under the Kyoto Protocol. The report outlines the state of implementation of Liechtenstein's international commitments with regard to climate change. It describes the development of greenhouse gas emissions up to 2011 and presents expected trends up to 2030. INFRAS calculated the scenarios 2030 based on Liechtenstein's Energy Strategy 2020. Without any reduction measures the emissions were 0.26 mio. tons of CO2 equivalent, including the measures of the Energy Strategy, the emissions in 2020 are projected to reach a level of 0.16 mio. tons.