ACTIVITY REPORT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2021-2022
Setting Sail Summary 4 TEACHING AND RESEARCH PROJECTS P. 24 5 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DASHBOARD 2021-2022 P. 30 3 INSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITY P. 9 1 UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2 PARTNERS P. 6 P. 4 This is our university’s second sustainability report. It covers two academic years (2020-2021 and 2021-2022) marked by dramatic events: COVID, floods, the war in Ukraine, tensions in the energy market, inflation. These events are not accidents of history. They are strong indications of a systemic crisis. The world is at a turning point; our commitments to sustainability must now be translated into significant and rapid changes. As the place where scientific knowledge is produced and transmitted, the University has a major role to play. It must not only accompany the transition of society, but also, in all coherence, think of its own transition. This is why the new rectoral team, whose mandate began in October 2022, has placed the environmental and social transition at the heart of its programme and will make it a transversal and structuring element of its institutional strategic plan. Ahead of this plan, this report is intended to be illustrative without being exhaustive. We have chosen to highlight various initiatives of our university community. This report shows to what extent the University of Liège - if it is to become a player in the transition to a more sustainable world - will have to bring together three major ingredients. First of all, the projects linked to the transition come from all the components of our university (students, scientists, administrative, technical and support staff, academics). There are more than 33,000 of us, and our force is therefore potentially immense. However, this transition will continue to depend largely on the personal commitment of each and every one of us, and on our ability to become visionary and creative in our fields of knowledge and our areas of action. Secondly, the dynamics of transition cannot be conceived outside of the partnerships that we are building in our territories with socio-economic and cultural actors. Our university also relies on international networks that bring together institutions with the same commitments. These two types of alliances are both openings to the world. Consolidating these alliances will allow us to better co-construct the future and to progress by exchanging our practices and our learning. Finally, the transition to strong sustainability requires a strong institutional commitment. The projects will have all the more impact if they are supported, encouraged and monitored by every level of the University’s governance. The projects’ influence will be amplified if they can be linked to a common, unifying plan, supported by a coherent and determined strategic vision. This is the commitment of our rectoral team. Let’s set the course and give ourselves the means to achieve it together. It is time to set sail. Anne-Sophie Nyssen Rector Sybille Mertens Advisor to the Rector on Environmental and Social Transition 2 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 3 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
1 Sustainable Development Goals In 2015, the members of the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 Agenda. This agenda defines 17 broad Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, see below), broken down into 169 more specific targets. They aim to address urgent global social, environmental and economic challenges. This agenda is deeply rooted in the fight against inequality, the well-being of populations, and the protection of the environment in its broadest sense. Since the adoption of the agenda, states, institutions, communities, and private and public organisations have largely appropriated the 17 SDGs, which influence the analysis and orientation of their policies in favour of sustainable development. Universities play a major role in achieving these major objectives, through research, teaching and community services. Many universities are taking on this responsibility and are committed to improving understanding of the challenges of sustainable development, developing the skills needed to implement concrete solutions, strengthening research and innovation related to these societal challenges, reinforcing local and international collaborations in favour of the SDGs, and above all acting in favour of the transition towards sustainability in all internal operations. This sustainable development report highlights ULiège’s contribution to these global challenges. The report systematically references the 17 SDGs in presenting our actions. GOAL 1. Access to basic human needs of health, education, sanitation. GOAL 2. Providing food and humanitarian relief, establishing sustainable food production. GOAL 3. Better, more accessible health systems to increase lifeexpectancy. GOAL 4. Inclusive education to enable upward social mobility and end poverty. GOAL 5. Education regardless of gender, advancement of equality laws, fairer representation of women. GOAL 6. Improving access for billions of people who lack these basic facilities. GOAL 7. Access to renewable, safe and widely available energy sources for all. GOAL 8. Creating jobs for all to improve living standards, providing sustainable economic growth. GOAL 9. Generating employment and income through innovation. GOAL 10. Reduced Inequalities: Reducing income and other inequalities, within and between countries. GOAL 11. Making cities safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. GOAL 12. Reversing current consumption trends and promoting a more sustainable future. GOAL 13. Regulating and reducing emissions and promoting renewable energy. GOAL 14. Conservation, promoting marine diversity and regulating fishing practices. GOAL 15. Reversing manmade deforestation and desertification to sustain all life on earth. GOAL 16. Inclusive societies, strong institutions and equal access to justice. GOAL 17. Revitalise strong global partnerships for sustainable development. 4 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 5 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
2 Partners To support this transition towards a more sustainable world, the University of Liège has entered into several partnerships. These networks allow the University to benefit from the expertise and experience of other institutions which have adopted a similar approach, and to be part of a collective approach favouring the coordination of actions and the sharing of resources. Each membership is subject to prior evaluation and a decision by the academic authorities. ULiège is a permanent member of the Commission du Développement durable ((CDD) Commission for Sustainable Development) of the Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement supérieur ((ARES) Academy of Research and Higher Education) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The Commission promotes the exchange of experiences between higher education actors, develops collaborative tools in order to create a community of resources, and elaborates recommendations on institutional sustainable development policies for the academic and political authorities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The Commission also organises an annual call for projects with funding of 200,000€. In 2019 and 2020, 19 projects were able to be funded, including 2 led by ULiège. FIND OUT MORE The Belgian platform The Shift brings together more than 500 organisations, public institutions, companies, associations and universities, which are committed to working together to achieve the goals of sustainable development. The network organises sustainable initiatives and the sharing of experiences between members. ULiège has been a member of The Shift since October 2020 and has signed its charter, committing it to working in partnership with local and international actors in favour of sustainable development. FIND OUT MORE In 2022, the University of Liege was the first Belgian university to join the Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment. GRASFI brings together 26 internationally renowned universities, including Cambridge, Oxford and Yale, which promote academic research in the fields of sustainable finance and investment. It is through its School of Management (HEC-Liège), and more particularly the Financial Management for the Future (FM4F) research group, that ULiège joined this alliance, which testifies to a solid expertise in multidisciplinary academic research in these fields. FIND OUT MORE In 2021, ULiège announced that it had started the process of joining the ISCN - International Sustainable Campus Network. In March 2022, ULiège became a full member of the network, and shortly afterwards won the first prize in the competition for excellence organised by the ISCN. ULiège won the first prize in the field of cultural change for sustainability thanks to the Green Office engagement programme, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of our community. FIND OUT MORE ULiège joined the International Association of Universities, a network of no less than 640 members in 120 countries, which counts sustainability as one of its four pillars. Thanks to this network, the University of Liège will be able to benefit from a strong echo chamber to spread its climate awareness efforts ULiège has joined the Green Office movement, a network of 46 other similar structures, whose aim is to provide institutional support, improve teamwork and increase collective impact by organising events on a larger scale. In 2022, ULiège, through its Green Office, was one of the three co-organisers of the Belgian summit held at the University of Hasselt, a meeting that allowed the community to exchange best practices. ULiège is extending its commitment to a social and environmental transition by joining the Belgian Institute for Sustainable IT. At the end of November 2022, ULiège signed the sustainable IT charter, committing the whole university to making an effort towards digital sobriety. The aim of this will be to rethink the allocation of digital resources in a reasoned and responsible manner. FIND OUT MORE 6 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 7 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3 Institutional Projects for a More Sustainable University 3.1 Green Office: A Great Number of Small Gestures 3.2 Solidarity Grocery Shop: Le Kotidien 3.3 Friendly, Healthy and Seasonal Catering at Reasonable Prices 3.4 Mobility: The Bicycle, The New Engine for Sustainability 3.5 A Policy to Reduce the Impact of our International Travel 3.6 Sustainable Travel – #SaveTheClimat Students 3.7 GO Transition·s: A Year to Change Course 3.8 #SaveEnergy Campaign 3.9 S’LAB HEC 8 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 9 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.1 Green Office: A Great Number of Small Gestures “We are trying to raise awareness of sustainable development while proposing concrete and encouraging actions,” says Cécile Van de Weerdt, coordinator of the Green Office. “We believe in the power of small gestures. Not from a moralistic point of view, but because when adopted by a large number of people, they initiate a change in culture.” Students, like many citizens, are now faced with the question of meaning. Sustainable development is one of the keys. “The expectations are there. Groups sometimes form very quickly around our proposals. But to really integrate the new generations, we have to align their needs and their reality. We have to go out and meet them in their daily lives, by deploying several pillars : awareness, communication, integration or coconstruction, commitment through action, imagination and hope. Whatever the future holds, hope can be contagious and give people the desire to build beautiful things.” FROM THOUGHT TO ACTION, WITHOUT DETOURS In June 2021, the Green Office won the “Challenge Campus 2030” at the UN. This prestigious prize was awarded for a commitment programme that is unique in the world, consisting of challenges in favour of the climate and biodiversity. “The pandemic context led us to prioritise raising awareness of these challenges, which can be carried out by students wherever they are... With the return to the campus, we are also proposing 30-minute events in the lecture halls to present the issues and calculate everyone’s carbon footprint. In a powerful way, we are trying to make students want to adopt sustainable habits.” Since the launch of the engagement programme, over 40 challenges have been proposed on the engagement platform, Alaya. Currently, more than 2,700 students are registered on the platform. Work is now being done to invite PhD students and staff to join the platform, “including new, more adapted challenges, such as challenges on sustainable finance,” continues Cécile Van de Weerdt. “All this gives me hope. This community of 30,000 people is one-eighth of the city’s population, within an institution that generates important scientific knowledge to be shared. We can make a lot of things happen in connection with our territory.” The Green Office also runs Sustainable Campus projects. Among the actions carried out this year, the Green Office collected 43 kg of old mobile phones, collected 58,000 bottle tops and corks for the Notre Village association, contributed to the installation of 3 new water fountains, organised a sustainable breakfast and a sale of homemade soup as part of the Nourrir Liège festival, etc. The Green Office also developed awareness-raising tools (a map of water fountains, a map of sustainable shops, a decision tree to help understand the main carbon impacts of our food). It has also participated in numerous conferences (such as the Midis du Green Office or the conference on regenerative entrepreneurship by Benoit Greindl) and training sessions (such as the Fresque du Climat) and has offered film screenings - Animal by Cyril Dion and Bigger Than Us by Flore Vasseur. THE RIPPLE EFFECT Among the Green Office’s first students, Sarah Robinet and Laura Germain, who have now graduated, were able to obtain funding from the Walloon Region to work there full time. “Our mission today is to replicate our engagement programme,” says Sarah Robinet. “Since January 2022, we have been bringing together different partners from the country’s French-speaking universities and colleges.” These twinning arrangements make it possible to launch carbon footprint calculations simultaneously in many lecture theatres in the country using the same simulator. “The interest is to create enthusiasm, to generate collective energy. The students do it together and are aware that they are part of a large group. They can follow up with concrete, tailor-made actions. As for us, these twinning arrangements connect us, allow us to share resources, ideas, support, they are an abundant source of motivation.” They also provide us with a new narrative, a way of telling the story of sustainable development in a playful and collective way, as Cécile Van de Weerdt maintains. “Thanks to the recognition of the UN and the various supports we receive (the Green Office has recently been sponsored by Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, the climatologist Jean-Pascal Van Ypersele and the social entrepreneur Runa Khan, who we met at COP27), the campuses are committed to each other and reinforce each other.” THE CALL TO TEACHERS The pride and joy of sharing can be seen on the faces of the Green Office members. The programme, as it exists today, has won them over. “Our desire is to include the community and to co-construct this programme. Let others take ownership of it. One of our methods is to reconcile education and citizenship. We are increasing the number of interventions in the different faculties so that the professors, as part of their courses, propose challenges adapted to their subject. In biology, for example, they work on biodiversity. They learn their subject while looking for sustainable actions that we relay on the platform.” The sustainable marketing course at HEC is equally eloquent. Students are invited to survey the various existing challenges in order to propose nudging methods (a tool designed to change our everyday behaviour, in the form of a discreet incentive). “In two years, 7 dissertations have been launched around our activities. All these pilot experiences can convince more teachers to work with us. Little by little, sustainability will become a collective given.” FIND OUT MORE Cécile Van de Weerdt Scientific Coordinator of the Green Office 25,000 students and 5,000 staff members to call to action: this is the challenge set by the Green Office, a sustainable development platformmanaged, in part, by students since its creation in January 2020 10 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 11 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.2 Solidarity Grocery Shop: Le Kotidien On 7th February 2022, the first solidarity grocery shop for students in French-speaking Belgium opened on the Rue des Clarisses in the centre of Liège. There are two conditions for using this shop. Firstly, users must be students in a higher education institution in the province of Liège or Luxembourg, and secondly, they must have a difficult financial situation. Compliance with this second criterion is based on trust. Students are asked to sign a declaration on their honour, without their finances being checked. They can find everyday products free of charge or at a quarter of the market price. A BEAUTIFUL INTER-INSTITUTIONAL ALLIANCE In April 2019, a study on the living conditions of students in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, commissioned by the Ministry of Higher Education, revealed two new areas of concern: mental health and food, which were added to other issues, such as housing and mobility. “When we read the study,” says Aurélie Proietti, from the Pôle Académique Liège-Luxembourg, “we asked ourselves how we could respond to these social phenomena, even though we knew we could not solve them all. We focused on food and began our reflections, influenced by a good practice referenced in Brussels, and decided to distribute solidarity baskets.” To anchor this initiative in the long term, the baskets gave way to the establishment of a solidarity grocery shop. To make this project happen, Aurélie Proietti toured the world of social grocery shops and food aid. Although there were already many initiatives, this was still an undeveloped area as it did not adequately meet the needs of many young people. “Those who are registered with the CPAS have access to these solidarity grocery shops,” explains Magali Thonon, a psychologist at the ULiège Student Affairs Department. “But many students do not meet the selection criteria despite having major financial problems. For example, students are excluded if both of their parents work, even if they get no help from them. So, the solidarity grocery shops helped these students in a less formal way, but the situation was not comfortable for anyone. It’s hard enough to ask for help, it’s even harder when the service isn’t meant for you.” The student grocery shop had to take this reality into account. It also had to be accessible to all higher education students, regardless of their institution, without discrimination. The project is headed and financed, in part, by the Pôle Académique LiègeLuxembourg, but all the universities and Hautes Écoles in the two provinces are involved in the discussions and financing of the project. Each structure allocates a percentage according to the number of registered students. This equitable distribution is a sign of wonderful inter-institutional solidarity around a unifying project. The initiative is also supported by the Poverty Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, as well as by donations and solidarity partnerships. “We also involved the student community from the outset,” says Aurélie Proietti. “A group of students drew up a questionnaire that was distributed to the various institutions. Which geographical location should be favoured? What opening hours, what products to choose... We used the results of this survey throughout the implementation of the project.” STRIVING TO BRING PLEASURE AND DIGNITY “The main advantage of the grocery shop compared to the baskets,” says Aurélie Proietti, “is that the beneficiaries can choose the products they are going to eat, and with greater discretion. Logistically, it is a bit more complicated, but there is a respect for human dignity and the notion of pleasure linked to food. We are moving away from the idea that a person in a precarious situation has to make do with what they are given.” We are also attentive to the environmental issue. Some products are offered in bulk, while others are chosen from local producers. In addition, sanitary towels and moon cups have been offered to students, etc. Currently, Le Kotidien is open 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 5pm to 7pm. It is run by 5 students who are paid under a ‘voluntary’ contract. “We offer a wide range of particularly popular fruit and vegetables, milk, flour, eggs, meat, etc.» explains Isabelle Jardon, coordinator of the solidarity grocery shop. These products come from local partner grocery shops, the Jardin d’Antan and the Terre d’Herbage network of producers, from the Boulangerie sans Patron, which gives us unsold goods at the end of the day, and from the food bank. “We were also able to acquire a cold room thanks to a donation from the King Baudouin Foundation. Bulk items and the sale of certain organic products are made possible thanks to Al’Binette, which allows us to benefit from wholesale prices. The Carrefour de Ans regularly supplies us with unsold goods, and other more occasional donations complete the offer. But we are always looking for volunteers and partnerships to increase the stock.” Recently, the initiative won the Solidaris prize, which enabled it to buy a cargo bike to collect unsold goods from small retailers in the region. In November 2022, some 920 students were registered (from a pool of 50,000 students). This figure is not representative of a reality that is currently difficult to estimate. On the one hand, the grocery shop needs to make itself known, and on the other hand, many young people do not feel that they deserve to benefit from this type of aid, even though they are experiencing an objective situation of food insecurity. Nevertheless, around 180 young people come each week. “The current limit is a basket of 10 products maximum per week. This basket costs about 4.50€. And the students are particularly respectful. They are keen not to take too much food so that others can benefit from it.” A place of solidarity that is as much a priority as it is central to the fight against poverty and for dignified access to quality food for all. Although there may be many reasons for students’ financial difficulties, there are currently too few structures to help them. FIND OUT MORE Isabelle Jardon Coordinator of the solidarity grocery store Le Kotidien 12 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 13 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.3 Friendly, Healthy and Seasonal Catering at Reasonable Prices Feeding ULiège students and staff in a healthy and sustainable way while maintaining affordable prices are the two main goals of the institution’s catering services. Creativity and proactivity are required to achieve this. Thus, ULiège subsidises this activity to the tune of almost 900,000€, to finance the difference between the market price and that charged by the university restaurants. “This allows us to maintain access to a whole range of healthy and sustainable products,” says Anne Girin, ULiège Administrator and President of the ASBL Restaurants universitaires de Liège. This preferential rate aims to avoid junk food as much as possible. Confectionery and soft drinks, for example, are sold at market prices, which helps to raise consumer awareness and steer their consumption towards better quality food. The supply of foodstuffs was entrusted to the company COMPASS GROUP BELGILUX on 1st January 2020. This public contract is based on a set of specifications that prioritise sustainable development by listing concrete requirements, which are verified during the execution of the contract. “We prioritise fresh, organic and unprocessed, local and seasonal products or products from fair trade,” says Annick Lambert, who is responsible for the daily management of the ULiège cafeterias and restaurants. “Attention is also paid to food wastage, recycling and waste reduction. We also encourage the use of water fountains, promote conviviality, socially responsible management of human resources, and the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products.” Strongly affected by the pandemic, the evolution of the activity and the respect of the required criteria have only really been observed for a few months. But the initiatives are moving in the right direction. In concrete terms, the volume of purchases of local and seasonal products is increasing and should continue to do so. A vegetable factory has been set up. It allows fresh vegetables to be processed directly in the kitchens, thus favouring short circuits rather than pre-cut and pre-packaged vegetables. “An increasing proportion of fresh produce from local producers is prepared there. We offer a varied salad bar, an organic hot vegetable bar, soups made from fresh vegetables and a 100% local menu every week.” Disposable tableware has been phased out by 90% (95% planned for 2023) and replaced with tableware the students have to pay a refundable deposit for. In the area of waste management, waste sorting tables have been installed. Work is also being done to raise awareness of quality and sustainable food, for example through information campaigns on the vegetable and fruit of the month, as well as food data sheets detailing the composition of the various meals. GET YOUR MUG, AND MORE At the same time, the institution has partially financed reusable mugs and cutlery sets. “These utensils are sold at a democratic price,” explains Anne Girin. “We encourage students to use them, especially through discounts on their orders when they use them.” Sustainability means healthy and ecological food. Sustainability must also be economic and social. “We strongly emphasise these points,” says Annick Lambert. “We are working on developing the well-being of the staff. The restaurant team has access to training. We have also increased the number of permanent contracts, and we are continually seeking to strengthen a sense of belonging within the team.” To guarantee economic sustainability, the ASBL acts as a direct contact with small producers. “We look for suppliers in partnership with the Ceinture Alimentaire-Terre Liégeoise. When negotiating prices, we remain sensitive to the value of work and the economic realities of the sector. Today, milk, some vegetables and meat are supplied by local producers and cooperatives and meet sustainability criteria. The coffee is also 100% fair trade and organic.” A RANGE OF CONSUMER OFFERS AND HABITS To better align its objectives with consumer expectations, the ASBL conducted a satisfaction survey. 1,200 people, mainly students, gave their opinion on the canteen services. “The feedback was very good, especially regarding the reusable containers, the organic food and the friendliness of the staff,” says Annick Lambert. “We have had little feedback on the vegan and vegetarian proposals. We noted that too abrupt a transition to fully sustainable and healthy menu proposals would alienate a large fraction of our clientele. Traditional ‘brasserie’ dishes continue to enjoy great success. But some new products, such as Poke Bowls, are doing quite well. We have a little room for manoeuvre to develop the menu in order to modernise certain proposals, rebalance the menu and influence the evolution of consumer habits. This evolution must be accompanied by other measures, such as communication campaigns.” As regards the management of cardboard, grease, PMC and glass waste, sorting tables have been installed in the self-service units, but efforts to raise awareness are still needed. Better management of food waste (50% by 2022, with a target of 100% by 2023) is necessary, in particular through greater awareness of selective sorting, the installation of additional sorting tables, weighing of waste and a collaboration with Too Good to Go. The reduction of energy consumption is another crucial point for which actions are planned. The proportion of local and seasonal products will also increase, and all of these measures are working towards anchoring ULiège in its sustainable dynamic. FIND OUT MORE Anne Girin Administrator of ULiège and President of the Restaurants universitaires de Liège (ASBL) 14 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 15 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.4 Mobility: The Bicycle, The New Engine for Sustainability For several years, ULiège has been implementing a strong modal shift policy with concrete effects on behaviour. Numerous levers are being used to observe needs, support sustainable trends and restrict the most energyconsuming habits. Over the last four years, solo car use has fallen by 7% among staff and by 11% among students. However, it still accounted for 66% of staff journeys in 2021. The aim is to reduce car use by 15% by 2025 compared to 2019, when the first mobility plan was adopted. One of the measures has been to stop building new parking areas, even though the institution’s population is growing. The post-pandemic period has been marked by the success of cycling. “We didn’t expect this to happen so soon,” says Pierre Duysinx, Vice-Rector for Mobility and International Affairs, “even though we have been working for a long time to encourage bicycle use. In particular, we have created a ‘ULiège, j’y vais à vélo’ (ULiège, I’m going by bike) team so that cyclists can identify each other, talk to each other and feel part of a group. This allows the organisation of group departures, the sharing of information, ideas and problems to be solved, etc.” The bicycle workshop, which was set up in 2012 and whose new structure was inaugurated in September 2021 on the Sart Tilman campus, has become one of the bases of the community. One person is employed there four days a week, offering repairs and maintenance, providing training, organising the loan of electric bikes... A reassuring source of technical assistance. “We have also obtained the permits for the deployment of 450 secure bicycle parking spaces on the Sart Tilman campus. These are planned for the summer of 2023 and will be divided into ten outdoor shelters and rooms within the buildings. At the same time, work has been carried out to provide new shower and changing areas,” continues Véronique Loiseau, head of the Urban Planning and Mobility Unit of the Property Resources Administration. Meanwhile, steps have been taken to renovate and expand the bicycle network on all areas of the Sart Tilman site and towards Boncelles. Afterwork drinks or lunches, as well as two annual events, are also organised for cyclists: the spring cycling season, which marks the end of winter, and which is accompanied by the organisation of ‘critical masses’, free bike check-ups and mechanics training; and the mobility week. “During this mobility week, we won the ‘Tous vélo-actif’ challenge, by cycling 5,730 km in one week,” says Pierre Duysinx. This is a challenge open to all cyclists travelling in Wallonia to reach their place of work. Currently, 11% of staff travel by bicycle (compared to 4% in 2017!). The proportion of students remains fairly marginal, and will only change significantly once the City has installed more secure overnight bike shelters. The dialogues between the two institutions are moving in this direction. The growth prospects for cycling are impressive. In Liège, Gembloux and Arlon, almost 50% of the staff and students live close enough to the universities to make the bike a comfortable alternative to the car. Micro-mobility solutions are also being tested on the campuses (provision of electric bikes and scooters). BOOSTING WALKING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT Walking remains a viable means of mobility, mainly for the city centre of Liège, and for Arlon and Gembloux. “The results are good,” acknowledges Pierre Duysinx. “They hover around 10% for city locations. But they are not changing much. We are going to relaunch communications around walking, particularly in an urban context, which discourage the use of other forms of mobility.” Public transport enjoys great loyalty among students. “One of the challenges remains the decongestion of line 48,” says Véronique Loiseau, “as well as the anticipation of the reorganisation of routes around the end of the tram works in 2024. We are in constant dialogue with the TEC and the various levels of government involved. A new line was implemented this year, the 158. It starts in Chênée and passes through Colonster. Recently, the Marche-Liège (E20) and Charleroi-Gembloux (E83) lines were reclassified as express lines. We had been insisting on this since 2013. This new feature has had a positive impact on the use of these lines. We are also trying to adjust the timetables of the courses according to the availability of the buses, while asking the TEC to reinforce the offer at times that remain congested. In spite of this, these buses remain saturated.” A financial effort has also been launched this year. The TEC is offering a monthly pass at a price of 12 euros for 18-24 year olds. “For students who do not fall into this age bracket, ULiège will pay the difference. In 2022, this compensation was requested by 500 people.” On several other fronts, experiments and reflections are aimed at reducing the greenhouse gases (GHG) attributable to mobility. For example, course scheduling means that there are almost 400 trips per day between the city centre and the Sart Tilman campus. Professors Louveaux and Teller have developed optimisation software to drastically reduce these mid-day trips from next year. “The tool will enable those who make the timetable to divide these trips by four,” says Pierre Duysinx. Carpooling has been declining since the pandemic. An initial campaign, accompanied by offering cinema tickets, was carried out. Continuous awareness-raising must now transform the trial into a permanent habit. In order to increase this fraction to 6% of trips by 2025, a satisfaction survey of the UGO carpooling platform will be launched. Consideration is also being given to reserving certain parking areas for carpoolers. As a final example, many employees telework one or two days a week, and some courses are still given online, deploying digital and interactive teaching devices, which has an impact on the demand for mobility. But social interaction is still paramount, so this measure should remain limited. Sustainable mobility behaviour is accelerating and responding favourably to the measures initiated by ULiège. They allow ambitious perspectives for the years to come. 80% of those who sign up for the bike mechanics training courses organised at ULiège are women. 52% of students travel by public transport and less and less alone by car (-11%) 11% of staff members are cyclists; they travelled more than 390,000 km in one year! Pierre Duysinx Vice-Rector for Mobility and International Affairs 16 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 17 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.6 Sustainable Travel – #SaveTheClimat Students Subsidies have been introduced to encourage ULiège students to use the train for international travel. In order to support the efforts of students seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, particularly in the context of Erasmus stays, ULiège has announced the possibility of receiving a subsidy intended to finance travel by train. In concrete terms, this grant of 168€ is awarded to any student who applies for it as part of an Erasmus study stay in Europe, provided that the destination is located more than 350 km from the university. This desire to support and encourage students in their environmental commitments has resulted in an average annual increase in recipients of 48%, bringing the number of recipients to 70 for the year 2022-2023, out of a total of 149 travel grants awarded over 3 years. FIND OUT MORE Similarly, the UNIC (The European University of PostIndustrial Cities) alliance, which brings together 10 universities in as many European countries, offers participating students a travel grant: TIP (Train Instead of Plane). All students whose destination is located more than 350 km away can apply to receive a subsidy of 185€, the equivalent of a 3-day interrail ticket over one month. FIND OUT MORE Following the analysis of the international mobility of staff members, the Board of Directors adopted a new environmental policy which came into force on 1 April 2022. Its objective is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the University community’s travel by reducing the use of air travel and promoting more sustainable alternatives. An action plan has been put in place around four axes: 1. Raising awareness among the University community of the impacts of international travel. 2. Developing alternatives when the presence of participants in the same place is not essential, in particular through the use of videoconferencing. 3. Limiting the environmental impact of international travel, in particular by encouraging the use of trains whenever possible. 4. Creating an internal fund to support sustainable initiatives, which is financed by a voluntary contribution from air travellers. By default, the train must be used to all ‘green’ destinations accessible in a maximum of 6 hours. Train travel is also strongly recommended to ‘orange’ destinations accessible in less than 8 hours and to airport hubs accessible in less than 6 hours (for flights with stopovers). The intention is also to improve the comfort and productivity of train journeys, in particular by authorising 1st class travel for all national and international journeys, provided that this expenditure is not charged to a research agreement. There is also conditional financial support for those wishing to travel by train where the cost is significantly higher than by air. FIND OUT MORE Mandatory train travel Recommended train travel 3.5 A Policy to Reduce the Impact of our International Travel 18 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 19 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
For one year, the Arlon campus went outside its walls to share its knowledge with its ecosystem. Since 1971, the Arlon campus has tackled the environmental issue from different angles, from the perspective of sociology, engineering, agronomy, economics, geography, etc. A scientific approach that is now urgent and transversal. In this context of doubt and environmental, economic, political and scientific legitimacy crises, it seemed essential for the members of this small campus (70 employees for less than 200 students) to reinvent themselves. To recast itself in a new identity that is more in line with the movement, with the ecological transition, starting by identifying new stories to share. Agora citoyenne, laboratory visits, the Nourrir Arlon Festival, reflections on North-South relations, citizen participation on environmental issues (cooperation, climate, energy, housing, water, air, health, agriculture, etc.), a conference by Cyril Dion, etc. In nine key moments full of events in a variety of formats, the GO Transition·s project has become a huge citizen, scientific, democratic, convivial, social and ecological laboratory. At the end of this year, the overhaul of the campus identity is still in progress. The issue of ecological transition has given way to a long-term project. This will be followed by a strategic plan with a horizon of 2030, in line with the particularities of the campus and its territory. DIVERSITY AS A NEW IDENTITY Wanting to change the way the world works means above all acting locally and seeking new methods of governance. “Materially, the campus covers 6 hectares,” recalls Pierre Stassart, President of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Management. “It is land and buildings and a region that are all interdependent. We can choose how to manage this heritage, and have a real sustainable impact on it. More broadly, the third pillar of the university, after teaching and research, is service to citizenship. To us, this seems Pierre Stassart President of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Management 3.7 GO Transition·s: A Year to Change Course to be inseparable from our intentions. Firstly, it was a question of decompartmentalising the various research teams so that dialogue and synergies could be created through new channels, while taking care to include all those who are easily excluded from debates and invisibilised in traditional decision-making processes: citizens, young researchers, women, etc. This meant organising contrasting events in which each person could invest according to their strengths. Many new profiles were revealed during this year. This collaborative work could not be achieved in a top-down model.” STUDENT-CITIZENS Another community specific to the campus, another driving force: the students. “Mobilising them is not easy,” confesses Pierre Stassart. “However, the history of campuses shows us that students are important agents of change. Perhaps even more so today, as we can see that their quest for meaning is on the rise, and that it is shaking up the balance of power, even in the workplace. Responding to this evolution through training adapted to the world that awaits them is an area that we must explore. And co-constructing the transition means including them. Yet they do not always feel legitimate as interlocutors, actors and accomplished citizens. There is a membrane that they do not cross, and it is up to us to pierce it. Within the framework of GO Transition·s, once the students had been challenged and mobilised, sometimes one by one, some of them became involved. In particular, they designed the closing day of the project around the visit of Cyril Dion, which resulted in a meeting with the students, a conference on the role of cinema in the creation of imaginaries and a debate with various actors of the transition and the academic world.” A particularity of Arlon is the large proportion of students from sub-Saharan Africa. “There is a potential to be seized there. Because although ecological transitions must be anchored locally, they have global consequences. The realities of the North and the South are interdependent, and at the same time crossed by the history of exploitation, colonialism and unequal levels of economic development which must be integrated into the debates.” ALLIANCES AND SYNERGIES The transition is not automatic. Many actors are still caught up in a certain inertia. “We have to be creative in the way we build new links. The inclusiveness of GO Transition·s has stimulated new dynamics bringing together actors who are already committed, and opening up the field of possibilities. For example, the ULiège Campus in Arlon has joined forces with the Hénallux and HERS colleges to co-sign the Alliance Transition Écologique (Ecological Transition Alliance) declaration of intent. This alliance represents 5,000 students in the region! It will be able to continue to open up the possibilities in terms of transition and feed new narratives with even greater resonance. Gradually, other actors in the region are becoming involved. This is the case of the Libramont Cultural Centre, and before that of the Maison de la Culture in Arlon, which hosted Cyril Dion’s conference. A conference for which all 600 seats in the hall were occupied. Do we need more proof that there is an expectation, a need, for something else to build together? In the midst of a crisis of political and scientific legitimacy, GO Transition·s reinforced the role of the University as a democratic, civic and creative actor at the heart of a territory. Pierre Stassart sees the modest size of his campus as an asset. “We find it easier to break down inertia and try out pilot experiments. The University can take advantage of this and deploy different laboratories for experimenting with the ecological transition, applying methods that encourage a diversity of approaches, new dynamics and local anchoring.” 20 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 21 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
3.8 #SaveEnergy Campaign Faced with the disastrous rate of climate and the current energy crisis, ULiège launched the #SaveEnergy campaign in October 2022 to make its community aware of a few simple but essential actions to reduce energy consumption. As part of the follow-up to this campaign, a team of students working at the Green Office was trained by the ‘energy and environment’ unit of the Property Resources Administration (Administration des Ressources Immobilières (ARI)). From December onwards, they took the #SaveEnergy campaign into the field, touring the buildings to talk to the university community and raise awareness of good practices in common areas. They were also invited to identify certain pieces of ‘energy-intensive’ equipment. They also went to rooms where heating issues had been reported to measure temperatures and check whether the problem was related to a blocked thermostat. They were also able to provide users with explanations on the proper use of thermostatic valves and advice adapted to the reality of the situation the users were facing in order to make energy savings by reminding them of simple gestures. The current context requires a collective effort in which everyone can concretely participate. 3.9 HEC S’LAB A new service platform has been created at the HEC Liège School of Management: the S’LAB To achieve its raison d’être, the ecological and social transition, it unites the members of the HEC community and encourages them to position themselves as actors of change. It integrates and disseminates the research expertise developed at HEC Liège on the sustainable transition trajectories of companies. It informs and raises awareness within the community. It provides managers with tools to develop regenerative and distributive business models and to understand the ethical issues and trade-offs related to ecological and social transition trajectories. In 2022, with its ‘Des têtes bien vertes ?’ (Green Heads) action, the S’LAB involved the HEC community in a collective intelligence process: how to integrate and manage the transition within HEC and improve the students’ career paths? These brainstorming sessions resulted in working groups, which in turn defined several priority projects. Thus, from 2023, and in close partnership with the ULiège Green Office, cohorts of ‘Transition Ambassadors’ made up of HEC students and staff members will be formed, with a view to mobilising the community of this pilot faculty for the transition: their missions will be to promote and accompany the realisation of the ‘sustainable development’ challenges developed by the Green Office and to promote the sustainable actions specific to HEC Liège. 22 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 23 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
4.1 Teaching 4 Teaching and Research Projects AMPHIDURABLES: A CYCLE OF INTER-UNIVERSITY CONFERENCES ON THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY Within the framework of a project supported by the ARES Sustainable Development Commission, ULiège has joined forces with the French-speaking universities and colleges of Belgium to set up a series of inter-university conferences on sustainable development. Through this sharing dynamic, the higher education institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation want to facilitate the understanding of societal issues related to the transition towards a more sustainable world, and mobilise their communities. The AmphiDurables project aims to reach out to the general public and the younger generation, and to highlight research from universities represented in these fields. Since the beginning of the project, 7 major conferences have been shared with renowned personalities, such as Laurence Tubiana, Rob Hopkins and Benoit Greindl. The lectures are available online on the AmphiDurables project website. FIND OUT MORE CLIMACTES: A SUMMER SCHOOL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Since 2021, the non-profit organisation ACTES has been organising a summer university at ULiège specifically aimed at the creation of social entrepreneurship projects in connection with the ecological and solidarity-based transition. In 2022, the 45 participants benefited from the experience of renowned professors through 18 courses divided into 12 themes covering finance, education, mobility, food, reforestation, renewable energies, solar energy, the circular economy and housing. Aiming to help participants turn ideas into action, the course promotes exchanges with professionals who are experts in the topics taught, and leads to the development of projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the 2022 edition, 8 projects were presented by the participants in various fields, such as eco-mobility, culture, sustainable agriculture, eco-consumption and energy. FIND OUT MORE A MOOC TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CLIMATE AND ITS WARMING A new MOOC to understand how the climate works and how it is warming has been developed by the Geography Department and CARE Digital Tools. Organised in 5 sequences, this course provides the basics of how the climate works before looking at the causes and consequences of global warming in an interdisciplinary way. It benefits from the recognised expertise of ULiège researchers, including Sébastien Doutreloup, Xavier Fettweis, François Gemenne and Guénaël Devillet, as well as from the intervention of Valérie Masson Delmotte, co-chair of the first IPCC working group, and Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, IPCC vice-president from 2008 to 2015. To help students visualise how the climate works, the course uses an interactive 3D model of the atmosphere developed by SIGLab@HEC. The first session of the MOOC, which began on 14th February 2022, attracted an average of 1,700 learners per sequence, of whom 897 successfully completed the course, with a total of more than 11,000 registered. The MOOC is open to a large Frenchspeaking public thanks to the FUN platform and is integrated into several undergraduate courses at ULiège. The next session is scheduled for February 2023. FIND OUT MORE Outside of the classroom, MOOCs, summer schools and lecture series are important vehicles, among others, to mobilise our students and engage them in the transition. 24 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 25 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
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