Because aligning itself with the interests of future generations is in its DNA, UCLouvain firmly expresses its commitment to sustainability. In the face of the climate emergency, the university is acting and positioning itself at the forefront of the search for ways to achieve the economic, ecological and social transition to a sustainable society, for the greatest number of people and on each of its campuses. Its aim is to support the development of knowledge, educate its students, develop its campuses and thus contribute, as a university, to these crucial systemic changes.
Commitments
In education: educating all students about sustainabilityUCLouvain is offering a MOOC, "Introduction aux enjeux du développement durable et de la transition", while giving greater visibility to courses and programmes on sustainability and economic, ecological and social transition. It also aims to integrate cross-curricular learning outcomes related to sustainable development into all bachelor courses and to set up a transdisciplinary minor in ecological and social transition.
In research: advancing knowledge concerning these naturally cross-disciplinary issuesMeeting economic, ecological and social transition challenges will require input from all fields of science, whether technological, medical, or social, and the humanities. This essential crossing of disciplines requires the stimulation of and support for inter- and transdisciplinary research.
On campuses: creating sustainability for everyone and on every campusEach of UCLouvain’s seven campuses is unique. Together, they form an ecosystem with common objectives, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. The university is leading an ambitious, concrete action plan to achieve greater sustainability in:
"The goal is to make UCLouvain an ‘open laboratory for economic, ecological and social transition’, where education, research and investment in making our campuses more sustainable are fully articulated in order to resolutely commit our university to meeting the challenges of the future."
Marthe Nyssens, Pro-Rector for Economic, Ecological and Social Transition and Society
Top-ranked
Belgian university in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, the only global performance tables that measure the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by higher education institutions.