École Polytechnique goes green

NeXt, the students' association dedicated to the ecological transition and environmental protection, is organizing the 14th edition of the Week of Ecological Awareness at l’X (SREX) from September 27 to October 1st, including conferences, workshops, activities and debates around this them

Two speeches by renowned experts will be among the highlights of this event. A conference by Jean-Marc Jancovici (X81), member of the High Council for the Climate (HCC), co-founder of the Shift Project and Carbone 4, will be an opportunity for this advocate of a radical shit in our model of society to present his vision of the ecological transition in the wake of the Covid-19 health crisis. A second lecture will be given by Pierre Friedlingstein, who holds the chair of Climate System Modelling at the University of Exeter, is also a member of the World Climate Research Program and the lead author of the IPCC. He will detail the methodologies and recent findings of the Global Carbon Project, of which he is the coordinator.

Various debates around the themes of the ecological transition will be organized, gathering students and alumni in the premises of the École Polytechnique.

Low-tech construction workshops will be available to students and staff, with or without registration. Their goal is to familiarize participants with the recycling and reuse of everyday objects, and to stop single-use habits.

A bicycle repair workshop will be open to all campus users, students and staff alike, to promote this sustainable mode of transportation.

SREX, previously known as Sustainable Development Week at X (SDDX), is part of the broader commitment of the École polytechnique and its community to the ecological transition.

At the international symposium "RéfleXions: Research, Training and Action for Sustainable Development" in June 2019, the École made five major commitments that are now an integral part of its strategy:

- The implementation of a sustainable development training certification.

- The training of 100% of its students in sustainable development.

- The creation of an interdisciplinary center on renewable energies

- The launch of an international student challenge.

- The goal of a carbon neutral campus.

In early 2021, the University published a progress report on its path to carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Its Climate Plan is currently being developed and will be published in early 2022. It will make it possible to set a new threshold of ambition in the integration of the ecological transition into all of its activities: significant actions on its infrastructures, integration into all of its educational offerings, outreach of its research and innovation...