🍃The MRM Laboratory has adopted a Charter of Eco-Friendly Practices!

Published on June 1, 2026 in Uncategorized

As part of the University of Montpellier’s Ecological Transition Master Plan (2023–2026), the Montpellier Management Research Laboratory formalizes its environmental commitments through a collective charter based on the results of its annual carbon footprint assessment.

In response to the climate emergency, Europe, France, and higher education and research institutions have committed to ambitious policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. As part of this effort, the Climate Plan of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research requires each institution to develop a Master Plan for Sustainable Development—Social and Environmental Responsibility.

The University of Montpellier has fully met this obligation by adopting its own Ecological Transition Master Plan for the period 2023–2026. The MRM laboratory is fully aligned with this plan and has intensified its commitment since 2023 by calculating itsGreenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory annually. These successive carbon inventories have made it possible to identify the laboratory’s main sources of emissions and to identify concrete opportunities for action.

"Being mindful of our actions in our daily lives—and therefore at work—is a key factor in achieving these goals."

This charter is the result of a democratic and participatory process: it stems from an analysis of the carbon footprint assessment results, discussions held by the laboratory council, group discussions during the MRM Day, and their subsequent presentation and approval at the General Assembly. It is structured around three priority areas.

Frugality in Travel and Business Trips

Business travel is one of the main sources of emissions identified in the laboratory’s carbon footprint assessment.

Objective: Reduce GHG emissions related to travel by prioritizing rail travel and,
, streamlining participation in conferences.

– For trips under 6 hours (mandatory), and for domestic trips (over 6 hours), prioritize travel by train—to be communicated by group/research area leaders.

– Conference travel: For the MRM budget, when a presentation is delivered by multiple laboratory members, only one trip to the conference will be funded to avoid multiple trips for the same presentation. Preference will be given to rotating among researchers, with priority given to those who do not have other sources of funding.

moderation in eating at events

Goal: To reduce the carbon footprint of food served at the lab’s events.

– Lab Day: exclusively vegetarian meals.
– Events organized or co-organized by MRM:
✅Prioritize local and seasonal products,
❌Avoid highly processed beverages (sodas) in favor of juices or local beverages

Digital Mindfulness and Responsible Use

Objective: To reduce the environmental footprint of digital technology and excessive use.

– Use mailing lists judiciously: send messages only to the relevant groups or departments, and reserve general distribution for information relevant to the entire MRM.
– Adopt frugal email practices: limit mass mailings and unnecessary attachments, prioritize download links, and regularly clean out inboxes.
– Limit the use of AI, particularly for tasks such as meeting minutes.

This charter reflects the MRM laboratory’s collective commitment to fully embracing the initiatives led by the University of Montpellier.