Emlyon Business School's Journey to Net Zero with Greenly

Founded in 1872, emlyon business school is a globally recognized institution with a community of 38,600 graduates in 130 countries. The school welcomes 9,020 students and 125 nationalities over six campuses around the world, including Lyon-Écully, Saint-Étienne, Shanghai, Paris, Bhubaneswar, and Mumbai. Emlyon draws on a faculty of 172 international professors and researchers and a network of 190 academic partners around the globe to offer programs of excellence that are open to the world. The school's goal is to shape enlightened people who effectively transform organizations for a more just, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly society.

Emlyon business school, a globally recognized institution with over 9,020 students and 125 nationalities across six campuses, was facing a significant challenge in managing its carbon footprint. The school's carbon emissions were at a staggering 11,000t CO2 per year, equivalent to 6100 round trips from Paris to New York. The main contributors to these emissions were travel (49.1%), services purchase (28.7%), energy (6.3%), and fixed assets (6.1%). Given the alarming IPCC reports and the growing interest of students in socio-ecological issues, it was crucial for the school to adopt a strong environmental strategy. The school was committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Accords, but needed a structured plan to reduce its emissions over the long term.

Emlyon business school partnered with Greenly, a company that helps organizations take action against climate change by calculating and reducing their emissions. Greenly provided an automated carbon footprint and a library of action plans to reduce emissions. The platform also included an awareness questionnaire to increase understanding around climate issues and full reporting to regularly communicate progress to stakeholders. After getting the results of the Carbon Footprint calculation, emlyon decided to go even further and become a Net Zero Contributor. This certification attests to efforts made in support of global Net Zero goals. Emlyon committed to track and publish emissions annually, apply action plans defined with Greenly’s climate experts, contribute at least 10% of its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions annually, engage suppliers in the fight against climate change, and implement in-house training to increase employee awareness of climate change issues.

• Emlyon's partnership with Greenly has led to a comprehensive and structured approach to reducing its carbon emissions. The school has implemented a specific action plan in collaboration with Greenly, which includes energy, digital, commuting, and purchasing action plans. These initiatives range from stopping the use of gas for heating systems and upgrading IT equipment with refurbished devices to reducing car and plane travel and taking CSR criteria into account on all purchases. The school has also committed to engaging suppliers in the fight against climate change and implementing in-house training to increase employee awareness of climate change issues. This commitment to sustainability has not only helped the school reduce its carbon footprint but also aligns with its goal of shaping enlightened individuals who can transform organizations for a more sustainable future.

• Emlyon's carbon footprint was reduced from 11,000t CO2 per year.

• The school committed to contribute at least 10% of its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions annually.

• The school committed to track and publish emissions annually.