Shaping a Resilient Future: SBE25 Begins in Zurich

Held every three years in rotation among German-speaking countries, SBE is one of the longest-standing international conference series focused on sustainable construction and urban transformation. After previous editions in Zurich (2016), Graz (2019), and Berlin (2022), the conference returns to Zurich in 2025 – jointly organized by ETH Zurich, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), TU Graz, and University of Liechtenstein.

Facing the challenge that the built environment is responsible for over 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and primary resource consumption, SBE25 sets out to redefine our approach. The event goes beyond technical fixes, advocating for systems thinking – a method to navigate complexity and foster synergies across scales, sectors, and social priorities.

Four core themes structure the conference program:

• Integrated energy and resource use from buildings to territories
• Digital transformation to enable a circular economy
• Economic models for rapid implementation of regenerative solutions
• Synergies between environment, society, and economy

Over 240 presentations, three visionary keynotes (Daniel A. Barber, Armelle Choplin, and Irene Garcia) and 11 site visits to pioneering projects around Zurich form the backbone of the conference.

A highlight of the week is Thursday’s praxis-oriented day, designed to foster exchange between researchers, designers, engineers, policy and industry leaders. Roundtables will address pressing questions on: Implementing circularity at scale; Defining standards for net-zero buildings; ESG valuation of building portfolios; Tackling scope 3 emissions; Accelerating innovation through dialogue between academia and practice. Day tickets are still available for Thursday attendance.

“SBE25 is not just a scientific event; it’s a collective platform to rethink the future of how we build, live, and collaborate,” said Guillaume Habert, Professor of Sustainable Construction at ETH Zurich and member of the organising committee. “We need to shift from isolated solutions to joined-up strategies that embrace the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic systems.”