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Sustainable development and social responsibility: the University of Strasbourg receives the DDRS label for its approach to socio-ecological transition

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The University of Strasbourg has been awarded the "Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility" label for a period of 4 years. This confirms its commitment to socio-ecological transition.

The Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility label has just been awarded to the Université de Strasbourg for a 4-year period by the labeling committee. The label confirms the University of Strasbourg's commitment to socio-ecological transformation. The process was initiated internally by the European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), which was awarded the label in 2019, and, at the level of the Alsace academic site, by the Strasbourg National School of Water and Environmental Engineering (Engees), which was awarded the label in 2016.

What is the Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility Label - DDRS?

Created in 2009 by stakeholders in sustainable development in higher education and research, the Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility (SDRS) framework enables establishments to build their sustainable development approach. Following on from this standard, the DDRS label was created in 2015. It is the result of the joint efforts of a dozen universities and grandes écoles, the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE), the Conférence des Présidents d'Université (CPU), the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Higher Education and the Réseau des Étudiants pour une société écologique et solidaire (RESES). The label is managed by the Collectif pour l'Intégration de la Responsabilité Sociétale et du développement durable dans l'Enseignement Supérieur (CIRSES).

The Label covers the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is structured around five strategic axes that concern almost all of the University's activities:

  • Strategy and Governance ;
  • Teaching and Education ;
  • Research and Innovation ;
  • Environmental Management;
  • Social Policy.

This reference framework is organized around 18 strategic variables, which are subdivided into 55 operational variables. Since 2023, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research encourages ESR institutions to apply for the DDRS label.

The labeling committee is composed of a group of peers (auditors from labelled institutions) and representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the Ministry in charge of Ecological Transition, France Universités, the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, CIRSES and RESES.

A label that supports the university's approach to socio-ecological transition

Included in the CAP 2030 strategic document, to be drawn up in 2019, sustainable development is one of the levers of the University of Strasbourg's transformation. With the co-creation of a Sustainable development and Social Responsibility strategy in 2022 in the form of a roadmap, the socio-ecological transition of the university continued with the energy sobriety plan in 2022 and the low carbon transition plan in 2023. Today, a Master Plan for Sustainable Development and Social Responsability is being finalized for approval by the Board of Directors in December 2024.

The DDRS reference framework and the cross-disciplinary work involved in applying for this label have helped to structure the university's approch to socio-ecological transition, in particular by making it possible to:

  • Enhance the value of the university's approach to social-ecological transition;
  • Identifying pathways for progress;
  • Mobilize members of the university community;
  • Gain national or even international recognition for its social-ecological transition policy;
  • Commit the university to sustain its efforts and commitments.

This structuring, information gathering and internal transformation work was carried out with all the University's departments, taking into account the actions carried out by the components and laboratories between September 2021 and December 2023.

Following the award of the label, the University de Strasbourg - which joins 48 higher education and research institutions that have been awarded the label, including only a handful of institutions  the size of the University of Strasbourg - is committed to continuing the implementation of a transformative and impactful DDRS approach. Since December 2023 (the date on which the application for the label was submitted), a number of projects have been launched, including:

  • The creation of an outdoor environmental management plan, to be launched in April 2024;
  • The development of a sustainable mobility plan, launched in April 2024;
  • Staff training in socio-ecological transition: a training program is currently being developed to support all staff from 2025 onwards;
  • Supporting research units in their socio-ecological transition: assessing of their carbon impact and committing to an action plan to reduce this impact.

In line with the label's collaborative approach, the University will now support other institutions in the continuous improvement of their DDRS policies, and will contribute to their labeling process by participating in audits.

"The DDRS certification is a demanding exercise, especially for a large institution like the University of Strasbourg, as all areas are taken into account and the criteria are high. This great success, of which we can be proud, is the fruit of a collective effort that has mobilized the entire University community - students, staff, bodies, components, research units and central services. Our heartfelt thanks to all! This great recognition encourages us to continue and  intensify our commitment, together with our partners, to the socio-ecological transition for more sustainable lifestyles and societies."

Laurent Schmitt, Vice President, Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility, University of Strasbourg

Press contact: Alexandre Tatay - Press Officer, University of Strasbourg |+33.6 80 52 01 82 | tatay@unistra.fr