Institut Charles Sadron News

ICS evaluated its greenhouse gas emissions for 2022 using the GES 1point5 tool from the labos 1point5. This tool takes into account emissions related to buildings, purchases, informatics, missions and home-work transport.

The total balance, for 187 ICS members is 1077.57 tons of CO₂ equivalent (t eCO₂). This represents a consumption of 5.90 t eCO₂ per agent, only for professional activities. As a reminder, the Paris agreements for carbon neutrality in 2050 set the professional and personal objective at 2 t eCO₂.

The global assessment shows an important part of the emissions (54%) due to purchases. Lab consumables represent the largest part of emissions (34%), followed by the expenses related to the lab life, maintenance, repairs and services (30%) and expenses related to lab equipment and instruments (29%). Finally, the purchase of computer and digital equipment corresponds to 7% of the emissions in this section.

The second sector responsible for more than a quarter of the emissions (36%) is the energy consumption. Even though this latter decreased since the previous year, it is still a considerable part, especially gas heating which corresponds to 78% of those energy consumptions. Electricty is responsible for 22% of the emissions of this item.

The home-work transport has been established thanks to the participation of the ICS members and the home-work questionnaire they had to fill. 46% of the members answered the survey and the results were extrapolated by professional categories (docs/post-docs, ITA or researchers/teacher-researchers).

Currently, 79% of the home-work emissions are due to the use of the car.

Missions represent almost the same amount of emission as the home-work transport. Emissions are produced however, in majority (90%) because of plane trips. A mission charter is currently under development.

And after…

ICS is obliged to do its greenhouse gas assessment every two years, minimum. The next assessment will therefore be, no later than 2024.

In parallel, the sustainable seminars are still ongoing. Next dates are displayed at the entrance of the ICS and at the cafeteria. Come to participation and if you wish to commit more, contact Laure Biniek, sustainable referent for the Institute.