WWZ records profits of CHF 26.7 million, shareholders hear

Some 1,380 shareholders along with a number of distinguished guests from the world of economics and politics attended the 127th AGM of the Wasserwerke Zug AG utility-providing company at the Bossard Arena last Thursday.

The chairman of the board of the company, Heinz M. Buhofer, mentioned that the company was continuing to strive to provide future-oriented services and solutions enabling customers to ensure their energy needs were provided in a sustainable way. To this end, the right legal framework was necessary, the new Zug Energy Concept being one very much on the right tracks. The chairman subsequently informed those present that the company had been able to achieve profits of CHF26.7 million over the course of 2018.

When it came to elections to the board, two members, namely Peter Hausheer, representing the communities to the northwest of Lake Zug, and Andreas Umbach of Landis+Gyr, were both re-elected for a further three-year term. In succeeding Dolfi Müller as mayor of Zug, André Wicki was duly appointed to the board with Walter Lipp representing Baar until 2021 at least.

The guest speaker on this occasion was the former mayor, Dolfi Müller, himself, who spoke on the issue of global warming, mentioning how the problem needed a global solution, and hence legislation which crossed national borders. “Anyone who causes damage to the air and the oceans must be prepared to pay for it. Not one single franc of it should be paid for by others. What has to happen is that environmental politics has to hurt, otherwise we will not change our habits,” he said, as he mentioned how he took off his hat to those who were models when it came to environmental protection. It was not up to just a few to set an example, but everyone, if global warming were to be halted.

However, Müller recognised that people were full of contradictions. “We want wind energy made by wind farms which do not make a noise; we want the latest mobile phones without radiation, cheap eggs from happy chickens and an environmentally-neutral Porsche Cayenne,” he said, typical of the sense of humour he had demonstrated whilst mayor.

Regular readers may be wondering why Müller is still here in the city. After all, prior to his standing down, he said he was going around the world. He still is, but is not setting off until later this month when he is jetting off to the States with his wife, and what is more, travelling around by car. Admitting he was no model environmentalist, he did say he would be paying his “MyClimate Compensation”, adding how he would continue to travel by air as long as tickets were so cheap. “And this is just it,” he said. “If seats were double the price, I would have to think about it. If they cost three times as much, I would not fly.”

Much to the delight of Buhofer and Widmer, he praised the WWZ company for its CO2-neutral combined heat power supply known as Circulage, describing it as a good example of an intelligent environmental innovation.

This article is based on one by Martin Mühlebach.