IÉSEG’s energy saving plan has a positive impact
05/25/2023
In the context of the energy crisis and the current climate change, we are forced to review our habits and accelerate our efforts to reduce our energy consumption. IÉSEG has therefore decided to fully commit to this initiative. In order to stop energy overconsumption and to implement concrete actions to meet the regulatory requirement (Éco Energie Tertiaire) which aims to reduce energy consumption in the tertiary sector by a minimum of 40% by 2030 in France, the School has launched its energy saving plan to make its campuses more responsible. Based on the recommendations of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and aligned with the School’s strategic priorities in terms of sustainable development, this energy saving plan was launched in October 2022. The short-term goals of this plan were to reduce energy consumption by 15% during the winter of 2022-23.
Only 6 months after the launch of this saving plan, IÉSEG is already seeing significant results in terms of energy savings. Thanks to measures such as the implementation of new time slots for permanent lighting, the reduction of the heating temperature to 19°C on all campuses, the cut of hot water in the sanitary facilities, the reduction of the heating period and the closing of the buildings during the holiday season, IÉSEG has reduced its electricity consumption by 18% on its Lille campus and by 28% on its Paris campus (which is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 9 houses of 150m² for one year), and its heating consumption by 24% on each campus (which is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 30 houses of 100m²).
The construction and renovation of some of the buildings on each campus (Lille and Paris – La Défense) also contribute to the reduction of the School’s overall energy consumption. In addition, the School has chosen to connect most of its buildings to urban heating networks, Resonor in Lille and Enertherm in La Défense, which has led to a considerable reduction in the carbon footprint. Previously, each building was heated individually with gas, but connecting to district heating networks has allowed the School to share a collective approach to heating, to use recycling as a source of heat production and to invest more and more in green energy.
IÉSEG’s energy saving plan complements the School’s other commitments to the environment, such as the signing of the Grenoble Agreement in 2022 and the Lille Low Carbon Pact in 2021. In 2023, the School also launched a training plan for all its employees (administrative and academic) to support its eco-responsible approach. Thanks to a collective effort (professors, administrative teams, but also students), IÉSEG is well on its way to achieving its global environmental objectives in the mid and long term. Indeed, the School aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% (compared to 2019) and its energy consumption by 40% (compared to 2019), by 2030. The School’s carbon footprint has been calculated using the ADEME database and in conjunction with the Trajectoire Carbone committee of the Université Catholique de Lille.
To learn more about IÉSEG’s commitments to the ecological and social transition, click here.