École Polytechnique and global partners highlight the importance of education and training to address climate change at COP29 Side Event

École Polytechnique took part in the 29th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP29), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. There, École Polytechnique showcased its engagement in advancing climate solutions by participating and advocating for the critical role of education through official UNFCCC side events. 

Under its observer status as a Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO), École Polytechnique was represented by a delegation led by Patricia Crifo, Professor and Deputy Director of the interdisciplinary Energy4Climate Center (E4C), which was invited to be part of the audience at certain debates and negotiations, and to attend and take part in events organized by official delegations.

Like every year, this delegation included students enrolled in École Polytechnique’s Master of Science and Technology “Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy”, and third year students in the Ingénieur Polytechnicien Program (specialization Energies of the XXIst century, Challenges and Science for the Environment, Public Affairs) as engaging students in climate action through teaching is crucial for Patricia Crifo.

Together, they joined the side event "Enhancing and Enabling Climate Solutions with Higher Education,", held on November 18 and convened by the U7+ Alliance of World Universities, the University Climate Change Coalition, and Second Nature, where they underscored the transformative impact of higher education institutions in addressing climate change.

Championing Sustainability Through Research and Innovation

Professor Crifo emphasized École Polytechnique's commitment to interdisciplinary research and practical climate solutions. She highlighted the institution's initiatives in green technology, including:

• Strategic Climate-Centric Education: Developing specialized programs that empower students to lead in sustainability and innovation.

• Green Startups and Campus Innovation: Supporting cutting-edge projects like renewable energy installations and scaling pilot campus experiments into industrial applications. 

As part of the implementation of École Polytechnique’s Climate Plan, E4C has installed demonstrators for smart grids, photovoltaic agriculture, and carbon capture technology, and has also launched mediaLib, a repository of open climate resources and data, in collaboration with the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace - Sciences du climat. 

“Thanks to E4C’s experimental platforms, the campus itself is a model for sustainable practices, incorporating energy-efficient buildings, green technologies, and reduced carbon footprints, making it a true living lab of the energy transition”, explained Patricia Crifo.

Juan Diego Avila Hurtado, providing a student's perspective on the topic, explained how his studies at École Polytechnique have enabled him to tackle concrete climate challenges and gain experience through practical applications. 

Citing the example of a life cycle assessment project linked to the redevelopment of a public place in collaboration with the City of Paris, Juan Diego Avila Hurtado noted that "by actively engaging with real data and cases, we as students are integrating sustainability into our own curriculum and career path while studying at l'X".

Fostering Multidisciplinary Education and Collaboration

École Polytechnique's role extends beyond research. Its emphasis on multidisciplinary education equips students with the tools to address sustainability issues holistically. Professor Crifo stressed the importance of partnering with industrial actors to scale academic research into actionable climate solutions.

In addressing mobility, biodiversity, and pollution, work from students and researchers at École Polytechnique has influenced policy recommendations, including, for instance, a study evaluating the environmental and health cost of motorized two-wheelers in Paris.

Global Call to Action from Academia

As part of the U7+ framework, École Polytechnique aligns its mission with a shared global responsibility to reduce emissions, expand sustainable education, and foster impactful research. “We should have a culture of impact in universities” said Professor Crifo, highlighting the need to better showcase how universities support effective climate action.