AgroParisTech and Sustainable Development

Beyond its academic dimension, AgroParisTech has organized its approach to responsible behavior around the Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility (SD&SR) guidelines. These guidelines were developed by the Conférence des Présidents d’Universités (CPU) and the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE). They help guide the institution’s actions by targeting five priority lines: 

• strategy and governance; 

• education; 

• research; 

• the environment; 

• social policies and local anchoring. 

In line with this ambition, AgroParisTech organizes its activities through a specific governance structure devoted to SD&SR. This structure is perfectly adapted to the school’s wide range of ambitions and to its multicampus nature. This approach allows all the institution’s stakeholders and users to make the project their own. 

An SD&SR group was established in 2019. It includes: 

• the SD&SR Director; 

• a project manager; 

• a contact person for each campus; 

• students and staff who are open to ideas and attentive to the specificities of each campus. 

AgroParisTech’s SD&SR approach is nourished by the work it conducts with its network of partners in higher education:  

• Paris-Saclay University’s sustainable development commission; 

• CIRSES: Group for the Integration of Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development in Higher Education; 

• RESES: Student Network for an Ecological and Inclusive Society. 

Two important dates have underscored AgroParisTech’s approach to sustainable development. 

2019 : signature of the agreement on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This agreement set the following goals:  

• advancing the role of education in achieving SDGs; 

• publishing an annual report on the progress of each signing party; 

• sharing conclusions nationally and internationally. 

2021 : signature of the Grenoble agreements proposed by the COP 2 Student Delegation. The main objective of these agreements is to support the social and ecological transition of higher education and research institutions. An internal working group met from January to March 2021 to define expected results. 

Sustainable-development-related activities are funded by a special budget within the institution. They are supported by the AgroParisTech Foundation, whose motto, “Together, as Citizens of the Living World!”,is an expression of the value of inclusive citizen involvement, entrepreneurial spirit, and openness to the world.  

Each year, to raise awareness among the university community and the general public, AgroParisTech participates in a series of special SD&SR events: 

• European Sustainable Development Week; 

• European Week for Waste Reduction; 

• Student Sustainable Development Week; 

• AgroParisTech’s SD&SR seminar, open to all school stakeholders and users. 

• Thursday podcasts