Sustainability at EDHEC
EDHEC's SDSR policy, to be implemented from 2022, involves all the school's activities and stakeholders. It is fully integrated into the Generations 2050 strategic plan launched in June 2024.
A responsibility for the environment and society
The world is changing. Global warming and societal transformation are engendering new challenges and new expectations. Business has a central role to address these environmental, social and economic global priorities.
EDHEC is committed, through its programmes, research and initiatives, to a 2050 horizon. This involves a commitment to supporting and promoting net positive businesses, training all its students to transform (through the courses they teach, but also through their community life), but also through climate finance, where research and concrete actions are gaining momentum.
Accelerating the sustainability transition requires commitment and collaboration from all EDHEC stakeholders (students, academic, administration, staff, alumni and partners) to share best practices as well as a holistic approach to integrate all aspects of social and environmental sustainability in EDHEC programmes and operations.
EDHEC has been part of PRME – Principles for Responsible Management Education since 2015 and aligns its sustainability initiatives with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
EDHEC signed the Accord de Grenoble initiated by COP2 students in 2021.
At the end of 2023, EDHEC was awarded the DD&RS (sustainable development & social responsibility) label in recognition of its social and environmental commitments.
A Carbon Footprint every two years
In 2022, EDHEC had its carbon footprint (scope 1, 2 and 3) measured for the first time for the 2020/21 academic year. The school is now committed to calculating its carbon footprint every two years.
EDHEC chose the Bilan Carbone® methodology, an accounting tool used in France and developed by ADEME.
EDHEC's ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero by 2030 by reducing GHG emissions from scopes 1 and 2 by 42%, in line with SBTi targets, and by reducing emissions from scope 3 by 20% by 2030.
EDHEC's second carbon footprint was carried out taking into account the 2022/2023 academic year. A low-carbon transition plan is being deployed to achieve these objectives.
Read EDHEC's carbon assessment for 2022/2023 (in French)
EDHEC's SDSR Master Plan
EDHEC's SDSR master plan sets out the institution's priorities and commitments to support the societal and environmental transition.
It is the result of a process of co-construction with all stakeholders and is an essential steering tool to guarantee the coherence of actions and maximise their impact.
EDHEC's SDSR approach is a global and integrated strategy based on five main pillars:
- The Research pillar: support for the dissemination of research work devoted to sustainability;
- The Education pillar: integrating societal and environmental issues throughout the student pathway and supporting responsible entrepreneurship;
- The Campus pillar: reducing the carbon footprint through a wide range of actions);
- The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) pillar: ensuring social diversity and inclusion for applicants and students, as well as the representativeness of management functions;
- The Corporate pillar: promoting transparency, cross-functionality and co-construction through governance, communication and accreditation management.)
Launch of EDHEC Business School's first SDSR report
July 2023 - EDHEC Business School publishes its first Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility report. This document is designed to present the initiatives and projects carried out by the entire school community.
An Ethics Code
EDHEC Business School’s ambition is strongly embodied in the creation of the EDHEC Ethics Board. Made up of business leaders and faculty members, this committee goes beyond academic analysis of
ethical issues to confront them with the demands of the business world and society today.
The mission of the EDHEC Ethics Board is to promote ethics, through a business relevant research, thanks to academic projects and their dissemination to students, executive participants, companies and the society.
This ethics code presents the values and principles that guide EDHEC Business School and underpin its educational mission.
This document is a contribution to the school’s public commitment to the UN PRME (Principles of Responsible Management Education).
A Responsible Purchasing Policy
EDHEC’s purchasing policy, implemented in 2022 and updated in 2023, is part of an engaged and responsible approach geared to responding to the major issues of tomorrow. It reflects our desire to incorporate social, environmental and economic issues into the way we operate and thus to enhance the School’s current and future overall performance.