IMD business school for management and leadership courses
Sustainable travel, catering, and procurement
Our commitment to sustainable travel, catering, and procurement enhances our ability to reduce our environmental impact.
Sustainable travel
Our Soft Mobility Plan, launched in 2023, aims to promote environmentally friendly transportation options for all Lausanne employees.
It encourages public transportation, cycling, and walking, and various incentives are in place to encourage uptake. We also have five electric bikes, sponsored by Swiss company Phaze bike SA, available for employees, affiliates, and MBA students.
In 2023, IMD invested in hologram technology to improve learning capabilities and experience.
The ARHT live hologram technology enables faculty to engage with more participants as if they were in the room without the need for travel. As well as the pedagogical benefits, this new technology will positively impact the environment. For example, a business class flight between Zurich and Singapore generates around 6.5 tons of CO2.
If IMD avoids two trips a month during a 10-month period, this is a saving of 130 tons of CO2 per year. In June 2024, a new hologram studio will be available for use when employees have no option but to travel by plane, IMD offsets carbon emissions from flights taken on commercial airlines.
Virtual collaboration
Through investments in technology, IMD has enabled seamless virtual collaboration for all our employees. The ability to meet online has many benefits, including environmental ones, as it reduces the need for attendees to travel to meetings and therefore reduces our impact on the environment. Technology and software, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, enable our employees to seamlessly combine working from home and on campus. In 2023, 139 Zoom webinars were held, with more than 7,920 participants in attendance. Over 36,000 Zoom meetings were held, involving more than 453,820 participants. In addition, 15,363 Teams meetings were conducted.
Virtual collaboration
Zoom webinars
Webinar minutes in 2023
Zoom webinars
Individuals participated in Zoom webinars
Zoom meetings
Zoom participants
Teams meetings
Meeting sessions in 2023
Zoom meetings
Meeting minutes in 2023
Sustainable catering
The IMD restaurant, located on our Lausanne campus, caters to program participants and employees, providing them with healthy food daily. The menu revolves around healthy ingredients sourced from local and regional areas from Bio-Swiss-certified suppliers. The varied menu includes plant-based meat alternatives. By serving more plant-based meals, the restaurant actively contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at source.
To minimize environmental impact, we use 100% recycled packaging for our takeaway lunch options. Furthermore, the restaurant tries to reduce food waste as much as possible and use leftover ingredients for new dishes. In 2023, food waste was reduced by 3,200kg. A new meal booking system was implemented in 2023, which allows for enhanced meal planning and will help further reduce food waste.
Sustainable catering
Food source
Products from local and regional sources
Meals
Meals served to staff, participants, and guests at the IMD Restaurant
Vegetarian options
Daily menus were vegetarian meal options, including 62.5% vegan options
Origin of meat
Swiss pork, veal, and beef
Origin of fish
MSC-labelled fish
Origin of poultry
Swiss poultry
Sustainable procurement
We aim to integrate sustainability throughout our supply chain. Our guidelines for sustainable procurement require contracts with suppliers that are environmental leaders in their respective markets and comply with fair, ethical, and socially responsible practices.
We procure most of our office supplies from Lyreco’s green products line, which complies with ISO 14020, the highest level of ISO Environment Claims standards. In 2023, we increased the amount of office supplies from Lyreco’s green products line by 34.67% compared to the previous year.
Other sustainable products we procure include reusable water bottles from Impact, a company that donates two percent of its sales to the Global NGO water.org. We also procure recycled pens manufactured in Switzerland and notebooks made from FSC-certified recycled paper.
Engaging suppliers
In 2023, we developed a Supplier Code of Conduct and a new Sustainable Procurement Policy. The Code mandates that all suppliers engage in environmental, social, and ethical business practices and values in all products and services they provide.
We stipulate that all suppliers be familiar with and respect the laws, regulations, and guidelines relevant to their operations. We emphasize supporting and respecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and having zero tolerance for child labor, compulsory labor, and discriminatory practices.
The new policy on sustainable procurement provides a framework within which all procurement activity across IMD will result in enhanced sustainability outcomes.
The policy ensures that all employees involved in procuring goods and services routinely consider how we can enhance and protect our shared environment, contribute to an inclusive society and the health and well-being of our community, and build a sustainable economy through our procurement decisions. The implementation of the new policy and Supplier Code of Conduct is planned for 2024.
Sustainable procurement
Consumables from Lyreco’s green products line
Locally based suppliers
