Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ

As a decentralized urban campus with very diverse buildings, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ has taken many steps towards monitoring and reducing its energy consumption throughout our facilities. For example, to reduce energy used on heating, our gas boilers are configured to lower their temperature overnight in the Combes and Quai d’Orsay buildings. In the Grenelle building (which is equipped with electrical heaters) we are installing new programmable thermostats so we can reduce consumption during the night.  Ìý

From 2014 to 2021, we renovated almost all of our buildings in compliance with energy efficiency standards, for instance through significantly improved insulation. In all of our buildings, we use energy-efficient LED lighting. In addition, and consistent with practices across France, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ uses only limited air-conditioning in our buildings.  Ìý

Developed as part of a student-led initiative, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ’s robust recycling program designates separate receptacles—using the same guidelines as the city of Paris—across campus to encourage proper disposal of waste. Helping to facilitate responsible waste management, there has been a campus- wide recycling education initiative since 2020.  Ìý

In addition to aligning with city-wide guidelines, paper recycling is a key initiative. Not only is Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ implementing an additional receptacle for this separate waste stream, but in December of 2021, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ implemented the use of recycled printing paper in all of our printers.

Yes! Another , composting at Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ is conducted in partnership with , an Ile-Saint-Denis based company specialized in composting and bio-waste management. Twice a week, Les Alchimistes picks up and processes bio-waste from the campus café, the AMEX. The resulting composted soil—from Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ and other organic waste producers across Paris—can be purchased by organizations or individuals, for example in Franprix supermarkets throughout the city. Ìý

As part of our campus-wide greening initiative, the 70 m² (750 sq. ft.) above the atrium reading room in our Learning Commons provides a practical, beautiful, and important garden. Consistent with the Paris-wide effort to become the world’s leading green city, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ is striving to develop our outdoor spaces and become a more inclusive ecosystem for all the organisms we share our space and air with. Ìý

In addition to this façade, our roofs—on the Combes, Quai d’Orsay, La Tour-Maubourg, and Grenelle buildings—have green components, as well. Though our buildings (which were built between the 18th century and the 1980s) were not designed to support roof gardens, several measures have been taken to add infrastructure-appropriate plants to our technical roof terraces. Ìý

Selected Programs:

• International Management, Sustainability Systems Track
• Quantitative Environmental Science
• Environmental and Ecological Economics

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Selected Courses:

• Business Ethics and CSR
• Economics of Sustainable Development

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Selected Study Trips:

• India - Sustainable Development Practicum
• Iceland - Place Branding: Travel, Tourism & Competitive Identity

As an international campus, ABES recognizes that our students and faculty fly frequently. We acknowledge that air travel is one of the most fuel-intensive and carbon-emitting forms of transportation, and we need to envision greener alternatives. Over the long term, this will require rethinking work-related travel and modes of transportation, while incorporating more virtual alternatives where possible.

In addition, we recognize that in an urban environment, problems such as air pollution, concentration of energy and resource consumption, and loss of green spaces have an impact on our health and wellbeing. Conscious of our contribution to these problems in our own urban environment, we aim to integrate our campus-wide efforts with the exciting efforts going on across the city of Paris. For example, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ might consider expanding upon the wider Parisian efforts to support . Closer to home, students have proposed hydroponic gardens, window boxes with native plants, and hiking and gardening clubs.

Finally, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ has not committed formal organizational budget to an Office of Sustainability. While there are certainly challenges inherent to a decentralized, urban, international campus, we fully believe that the campus’ current and future challenges will be best addressed through the thoughtful allocation of institutional resources. The ABES board’s formal recommendation is for the creation of such an office, with appropriate fiscal resources allocated to campus and community sustainability efforts.

Looking to get involved? Please visit our page for further information. ÌýAdditional information on groups and co-curricular learning opportunities can also be found on Engage.

If you would like to get in touch with the ABES board directly, please email: Sustainabilityaup.edu.

If you would like to get involved with another sustainability group on campus, please consult for more information.