en
en

Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility

We are helping to shape the energy future – safely, innovatively and sustainably

As the transmission system operator, Swissgrid is the backbone of a reliable, stable and efficient supply of energy and is playing a key role in the transformation of the energy system on the grid side. Responsible behaviour towards people and the environment is an integral part of Swissgrid’s corporate strategy. By firmly establishing ecological, social and economic aspects into its core mandate, Swissgrid is not only strengthening the sustainability of the company, but also making a vital contribution to the resilience and future viability of the supply of electricity in Switzerland.

Topics on this page

Fields of action and priorities

Swissgrid’s Board of Directors has firmly established the company’s commitment to sustainability in its Strategy 2027 as the «Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility» (CSER) strategic focus area. The aim of the CSER approach is to enable Swissgrid to fulfil its social responsibility for people and the environment by actively and naturally implementing sustainable actions in all activities and in all areas of the company. Swissgrid divides its commitment to sustainability into four strategic fields of action: Purpose, Planet, People and Partnership. The Board of Directors has defined ten priorities in these four strategic fields of action using the company’s updated dual materiality analysis. These priorities form the basis for the strategic focus on CSER and for non-financial reporting.

Fields of action
Swissgrid’s fields of action and priorities related to sustainability

Our contribution

Purpose – our role

As the national grid company, Swissgrid ensures the secure transport of electricity via the national transmission grid connected to the European electricity system, which forms an important basis for the high quality of life and prosperity in Switzerland and Europe. The electricity system in Switzerland and Europe is undergoing the biggest transformation in its history. The shift towards decentralised energy production is politically desirable both in Switzerland (Energy Strategy 2050) and in Europe, and is a necessity in order to achieve the decarbonisation of the energy system. Thanks to the central role it plays in the energy system, Swissgrid is actively shaping its sustainable transformation.

  • Equigy

    PV forecasting

    While the expansion of electricity generation from photovoltaics in Switzerland is progressing, the availability of data on electricity production from photovoltaic plants and forecasts is still lagging behind. This has an impact on the stability of grid operations and may oblige Swissgrid to use more control energy at higher costs in the short term in order to compensate for the imbalance between production and consumption. As a proactive measure to counter this difficulty, Swissgrid has developed a PV forecasting model that provides a solid data base for forecasts, nowcasts and backcasts with regional resolution.

  • PV4Balancing

    The aim of the PV4Balancing project is to harness the flexibility potential of photovoltaic plants in Switzerland to stabilise the grid in the future. To this end, Swissgrid has launched a project with industry partners to develop a new control power product that will allow the energy produced by photovoltaics to be used as control energy. A pilot project with initial applications in grid operations is planned for the current year. In the long term, the project could help to integrate a larger proportion of photovoltaic electricity generation into the grid whilst mitigating the challenge that volatile electricity production poses to grid stability.

  • Coordinated use of decentralised energy resources

    Cooperation within the electricity sector is a key basis for ensuring the efficient and successful implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050. Swissgrid has been working with industry partners to drive forward the development of a joint market for grid and ancillary services. The aim is to allow the deployment of flexible resources for stable grid operations in a coordinated manner in the future.

People – our community, our strength

As the operator of a critical infrastructure, Swissgrid insists on a high level of safety and reliability, and consequently on the occupational health and safety of its employees. Furthermore, the company is dependent on highly qualified, diverse and motivated employees in order to develop into an innovative, digitalised and sustainable company.

  • Diversity and Inclusion

    Equal pay

    Equal pay for work of equal value is a matter of course for Swissgrid. Swissgrid obtained «Fair Compensation» certification for the fifth time in a row in the 2024 financial year. With a deviation rate of 0.5%, the result of the audit remains well below the threshold of 5%. The remuneration of all employees was audited, with the exception of interns and employees paid by the hour.

  • Dekarbonisierung

    Flexible working models

    Swissgrid provides working conditions that take account of the changing needs of employees. Ensuring employees’ work-life balance (especially with regard to their families) is a cornerstone of Swissgrid’s HR strategy. Swissgrid therefore offers its employees various options for flexible and hybrid working. This includes giving its employees the choice to complete up to 50% of their working hours from home, at their second place of residence, abroad, in co-working spaces or other suitable remote locations.

  • Safety Culture Ladder

    Safety & Security has top priority in all activities at Swissgrid. The integral safety policy and the certified occupational health and safety management system are important foundations for the protection of employees, third parties and Swissgrid systems. In an effort to continuously strengthen its safety culture, the company follows the Safety Culture Ladder method and has been successfully certified at level 3.

Partnership – taking joint action

Swissgrid creates a common basis for finding sustainable solutions by engaging in transparent dialogue and constructive cooperation with stakeholders. Swissgrid also fulfils its environmental, social and economic responsibility along the value chain.

  • «Code of Conduct for Suppliers» and «Supply chain policy»

    In fulfilling its mandate, Swissgrid takes its responsibility towards society and the environment seriously and expects the same from its suppliers. Swissgrid has set out binding principles for ensuring a sustainable supply chain and for respecting human rights along the value chain for itself and its suppliers in its «Sustainability Charter» and in its «Supply chain policy for exercising due diligence in the area of human rights».

  • Dekarbonisierung

    Sustainable procurement

    Swissgrid integrates sustainability aspects into the procurement of products and services in order to reduce the environmental footprint of the grid infrastructure over the entire life cycle and to identify, avoid or limit social risks along the value chain. In the 2024 financial year, Swissgrid took at least one sustainability criterion into account in more than 98% of tenders in open and invitation procedures in accordance with public procurement law. Swissgrid works closely with other European transmission system operators to strengthen sustainable procurement practices and methods by adopting a harmonised approach.

Planet – our future, our responsibility

Swissgrid is committed to making responsible use of our planet and is designing innovative and sustainable solutions to help shape a resilient and environmentally friendly energy future. As the link between generation and consumption, Swissgrid is supporting the transformation of the energy system and hence the transition to a net-zero society in Switzerland.

  • Swissgrid’s climate targets

    At the beginning of 2025, Swissgrid set itself the goal of reducing its direct and indirect GHG emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by 50% by 2030 and by 90% by 2040 compared to the base year 2023. In order to meet these climate targets, from 2025 onwards Swissgrid will implement a decarbonisation plan consisting of targeted measures to contain and decarbonise active power losses, to limit SF6 emissions and to reduce the energy consumption of its vehicle fleet, building infrastructure and grid systems. Swissgrid will offset the remaining emissions through the use of negative emission technologies so that the net-zero target can be achieved from 2040. Swissgrid also builds and operates its infrastructure in such a way that it will remain resilient to climate risks in the future.

  • Alpine longhorn beetle

    Ecological route management

    Deadwood in forests promotes biodiversity. This is no different on the routes of overhead lines. The routes of overhead lines could prove to be an ideal breeding ground for the rare Alpine longhorn beetle. This beetle has been in a difficult situation for a long time due to the lack of dead beech wood in sunny locations where its larvae can develop. Swissgrid has adapted the management of its extra-high-voltage lines to keep down vegetation in areas where the Alpine longhorn beetle has been sighted. Beech tree stumps are left standing at a height of around two metres and care is taken to prevent damage caused by falling trees in the surrounding area. Provided there is no safety risk, Swissgrid preserves and protects standing and lying deadwood. Swissgrid is now aiming to integrate the nationwide data on the occurrence of the Alpine longhorn beetle into its internal geoinformation system. This will enable the approach to be followed in other sectors. The example of the Alpine longhorn beetle shows that simple measures are often sufficient to promote a specific species and hence biodiversity in general.

  • Pathfinder

    Data-based route planning with «Pathfinder»

    Swissgrid uses «Pathfinder» to develop and analyse route variants for new high-voltage lines in the preliminary project phase (SIA 31). The tool facilitates planning by integrating technical, environmental and regional planning criteria and illustrating their interrelationships. Quantitative factors such as life cycle assessments and life cycle costs are calculated automatically. In terms of environmental and biodiversity protection, «Pathfinder» makes these aspects both visible and comparable. The results from «Pathfinder» provide a data base for decision-making that helps Swissgrid to finalise the entire preliminary project phase and submit a well-founded route proposal that takes into account the impact on the environment.

Links & downloads

Links

Online Annual and half-year reports

Financials – Sustainability ratings

News: «Swissgrid is ranked in the top third of companies in terms of sustainability ratings»

Blogposts on the topic of sustainability

Downloads

  • Guiding principles for sustainability
    PDF
  • Occupational health and safety policy
    PDF
  • Sustainability Charter for suppliers
    PDF
  • Supply chain policy for exercising due diligence in the area of human rights
    PDF

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you agree to the use of cookies. More information can be found in the privacy policy or the legal information.

Contact

Title

Please select a title.

Please enter your first name.

Please enter your last name.

Please enter a valid e-mail address.

Please enter your message.

Please click the checkbox.