Strategy

Long committed to ecological transition, the University of Montpellier has taken a new step forward with the development of its Ecological Transition Master Plan (SDTE). This strategic document meets the expectations of the relevant ministries while affirming the institution's strong political will to make ecological transition a pillar of its governance and institutional functioning.

Through its "strategy and governance" approach, UM is fully integrating the culture of ecological transition into its decision-making bodies and operational management. This dynamic is based on collective mobilization: students, staff, academic departments, schools, institutes, central administrations, shared services, and research structures are all players in this transformation.

Thanks to this commitment and cross-functional deployment, the UM's strategy is becoming concrete, shared, and sustainable. It embodies a unifying vision for a university that is resolutely forward-looking and committed to ecological transition for sustainable development.

Network of Ecological Transition Correspondents (CTE)

In October 2024, the Ecological Transition Correspondents (CTE) network was established. This initiative aims to embed sustainable practices throughout the institution by rolling out the Ecological Transition Master Plan (SDTE) in academic departments, schools, institutes, research facilities, central administrations, and shared services, and by creating a direct link between each facility and the sustainable development office in order to streamline the flow of information, facilitate the monitoring of actions, and strengthen the consistency of initiatives.

The CTE play a key role as operational relays. They share data, indicators, and projects related to ecological transition, while participating in exchanges of best practices. The network is active throughout the year via quarterly news flashes, an annual meeting led by the Vice President for Environmental Issues, and surveys to promote initiatives and gather feedback from the community.

In the long term, this network aims to promote a culture of sustainability at all levels of the university, fostering a collective dynamic that is essential to the success of the ecological transition.

Responsible Travel Policy

As part of its Ecological Transition Master Plan (SDTE), the University of Montpellier is implementing a responsible travel policy aimed at reducing its carbon footprint while meeting the needs of its community.

With 25 sites across five departments, the UM faces challenges in terms of coordination and accessibility, which it tackles in collaboration with local authorities and regional stakeholders with a view to jointly developing solutions.

An assessment of mobility practices, carried out in parallel with the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment (BEGES), identified the expectations of its staff and the levers for action to offer alternatives to the use of private vehicles. This approach is part of the implementation of an Employer Mobility Plan (PDME), a strategic tool that identifies the mobility solutions available in each region, encourages soft mobility, and promotes coordination between the needs of employees and local transport policies.

Supported by staff, management, and local partners, this policy aims to reduce the carbon impact of business travel and commuting, while strengthening the consistency of the ecological transition at the institutional and regional levels and actively participating in public policies for sustainable mobility.

Responsible business travel policy

As part of its ecological transition initiative, the University of Montpellier has implemented a responsible business travel policy aimed at reducing the carbon impact of its activities. This initiative, which is part of the SDTE (Sustainable Development and Territorial Employment Plan), aims to reduce the environmental impact of travel while maintaining the efficiency of university staff missions.

The institution therefore recommends favoring soft mobility, in particular public transportation with low environmental impact (train, bus, tram), carpooling, and_low-CO2 vehicles, such as electric or hybrid cars, when traveling by car is necessary. Air travel is limited to long-distance trips.  Staff are also encouraged, as far as possible, to favor videoconferencing when face-to-face meetings are not necessary.

Responsible purchasing policy

As part of its Ecological Transition Master Plan (SDTE), the University of Montpellier is strengthening its responsible purchasing policy by incorporating environmental and social criteria into its purchasing procedures. The objective is clear: to make every purchase a concrete lever for ecological transition in line with the institution's commitments.

The UM is making it standard practice to include environmental clauses in its public contracts and is optimizing its procurement practices to limit deliveries, travel, packaging, and waste production.

The institution is committed to implementing the Socially and Environmentally Responsible Public Procurement Promotion Plan (SPASER). The purpose of this plan is to set clear objectives, monitor progress, and encourage buyers to adopt sustainable practices in line with national and international commitments.

This policy reflects the commitment of the entire university community to social and environmental responsibility.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (BEGES)

As part of its commitment to ecological transition, the University of Montpellier has produced its first Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (BEGES).

BEGES is part of a regulatory and voluntary approach, mobilizing governance, all structures, staff, students, and partners of the UM.

It has three main objectives:

• Quantify greenhouse gas emissions related to the institution's activities
• Focus strategic decisions on practices that ensure a reduction in emissions
• Monitor progress made in the implementation of the Ecological Transition Master Plan (SDTE).

The implementation of the BEGES presents major challenges due to the complexity of the multi-site establishment and the diversity of the data to be collected and the stakeholders to be involved. After collecting data from multiple sites and stakeholders, conducting a large-scale survey of students and staff on their travel modes and practices, and reviewing the results, the institution began developing a transition action plan to reduce its carbon footprint. The objective is to identify priority actions to be implemented, particularly with regard to student and staff travel, in order to achieve a 5% annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The institution is therefore committed to conducting its BEGES every three years, internally, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of its action plan.

Beyond its strategic importance for UM, the implementation of BEGES revealed a strong involvement from the university community. It highlighted a collective commitment to climate issues, confirming that ecological transition is not only an institutional priority but also a challenge shared by all stakeholders within the institution.