| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.02 |
| Liaison | Maxine Dandois-Fafard |
| Submission Date | Nov. 10, 2023 |
Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Maxine
Dandois-Fafard Sustainable Development Officer Scientific Direction |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Institutional action plan for sustainability 2022-2025
- In goal n.3 "MOBILIZING – Integrating responsible practices for sustainable development in research and teaching":
ACTION 3.1: Raising awareness and train the INRS community on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
INDICATORS: Percentage of the INRS community who participated in the SDG training course; Number of sustainability-related events hold
ACTION 3.2: Proving an accompanying guide for sustainable best practices for research and teaching.
INDICATORS: provided guide
ACTION 3.3: Improving lab practices
INDICATORS: provided guide for sustainable labs
Scientific programming institutional action plan 2021-2025
In connection with specific orientations n.4 “Integrating reconciling approaches, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and concertation into research & innovation activities”, and n.5 “Demonstrating leadership in responsible research”, these are the following action:
-ACTION : Integrating reconciling and inclusive approaches to research and innovation
INDICATORS: Number support projects for researchers; DEI support guide for writing and editing for grant written demands; Number of accompanied researchers for their procedure; number of exemplary projects of reconciliatory and inclusive approaches or participatory or collaborative projects.
ACTION: Providing tools in order to facilitate the integration of DEI principles, for sustainability and scientific integrity.
INDICATORS: Establishment of a responsible research training course system.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Institutional Action Plan for Sustainability 2022-2025
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Plan-INRS-Action-Developpement-Durable.pdf)
- In goal n.2 "COMMITTING - Including sustainability into INRS decision-making, governance, and culture":
ACTION 2.4 Institutionalizing exemplary practices and initiatives from centres, research groups, student associations, local committees.
INDICATORS: Number of institutionalized exemplary initiatives and practices
- In goal n.4 "TAKING ACTION – Executing visible actions to promote INRS environmental and social impact"
ACTION 4.6 Launching an annual call for sustainable initiatives
- In goal n.3 "MOBILIZING – Integrating responsible practices for sustainable development in research and teaching":
INDICATORS: Number of annual funded projects
ACTION 3.1: Raising awareness and train the INRS community on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
INDICATORS: Percentage of the INRS community who participated in the SDG training course; Number of sustainability-related events hold
Scientific Programming Action Plan 2021-2025
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/INRS-Programme-Scientifique-Institutionnel-2021-2025.pdf)
- In goal.6 (orientations 3 to 5) "Recognizing contributions related to operationalization and social commitment, supporting approaches that combine creativity and research"
ACTION: Creating a "Planet Prize" (Prix Planète) which salutes social commitment, operationalization and knowledge spread.
INDICATOR: Planet Prize has been created.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Institutional action plan for sustainability 2022-2025
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Plan-INRS-Action-Developpement-Durable.pdf)
- In goal n.4 "TAKING ACTION – Executing visible actions to promote INRS environmental and social impact"
ACTION 4.2: Promoting sustainable mobility for business trips
INDICATORS: Telework policy; transportation managing plans for each campus; number of sustainable mobility initiatives.
ACTION 4.3: Improving waste management
INDICATORS: Evaluation or estimation of annual waste quantity; number of valorization measurement; creation of a guide for eco-friendly events; number annual of print sheets
ACTION 4.4: Reducing GHG emissions.
INDICATORS: Number of projects integrating renewable or alternative energies and projects benefiting power saving on campus; number tons equivalent CO2
ACTION 4.5: Improving natural area management to reduce urban heat islands, to save biodiversity, and to contribute to a optimized management of rain waters and increasing the wellness of campus users.
INDICATORS: Number of outdoor green layouts
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion INRS action plan
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Plan_action_EDI_CRC_INRS_2020_12_07.pdf)
- GOAL 3 Fully integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into general debates about professor hiring within the selective committee.
INDICATORS: composition of selective committee
- GOAL 16 Mobilizing INRS community in terms of DE&I
INDICATORS: Institutional policy for DE&I; participation rate on the "unconscious bias" training course
- GOAL 17 Increasing Indigenous People collaboration and participation regarding research and teaching in the aim to pursue reconciliation and decolonization efforts.
INDICATORS: policy guidance committee for Indigenous People; percentage of members within the INRS community who participated in training courses focused on raising awareness of Indigenous People realities.
INRS Strategic planning 2019-2024
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/INRS-plan-Strategique-2019-2024.pdf)
The strategic orientation "BRINGING TOGETHER" aims to develop an interdisciplinary, untied, and collaborative community at INRS within the strategic direction "PROMOTING" guarantees a fair, diverse, and inclusive living environment at INRS.
Institutional action plan for sustainability 2022-2025
(available online: https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/Plan-INRS-Action-Developpement-Durable.pdf)
- Goal n.2 "COMMITTING - Including sustainability into INRS decision-making, governance, and culture":
ACTION 2.1: Committing to take action in order to protect the planet, eradicate poverty and ensure peace and prosperity for all human beings by 2030, by contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
INDICATORS: SDGs’ international agreement signed: internal training course focused on SDGs available for the INRS community; INRS’ participation into the international Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
ACTION 4.1 Pursuing fossil fuel disinvestment
INDICATORS: Proportion of INRS green investments
ACTION 4.5: Improving natural area management to reduce urban heat islands, to save biodiversity, and to contribute to an optimized management of rain waters and increasing the wellness of campus users.
INDICATORS: Number of outdoor green layouts
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
Our Sustainability Policy acts as our formal statement (https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/POL-Developpement-Durable-VFP.pdf), which was adopted in 2013 by the Board. The policy preamble specifies: "INRS, according to its mission in terms of education, research, and community service, is able to strongly contribute to the promotion, understanding, and implementation of sustainable development. Therefore, through activities, INRS is committed to contribute to the advancement of sustainable development execution in order to ensure a better quality of life for present and future generations.
It's within this perspective that INRS is committing to promote sustainable development with the aim to build a responsible and sustainable future for, and with the INRS community members, its tenants, suppliers, and service providers."
The preamble also stipulates: "Sustainable development: a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is based on a long-term vision that considers the inseparable nature of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of development activities."
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and is based on a long-term vision that takes into account the inseparable nature of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of development activities.
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | No |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | Yes |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | No |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | No |
| SDG Accord | Yes |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | No |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | No |
| UN Global Compact | No |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
Nature Positive Universities Pledge (2022)
By signing this pledge, INRS commits to put all of its necessary efforts to encouraging this commitment to stop and invert the biodiversity loss by executing practical and measurable actions, but also by putting together knowledge for the benefit of the majority. This piece of work started during 2023 summer with the implementation of a baseline and an ecological study on every campus and site. Biodiversity action plan writing is planned for fall 2023.
University Global Coalition (2022)
INRS adhered to the six UGC principles :
1. Increasing students’ understanding of the most pressing challenges facing the world today as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals [an asynchronous online training about the SDGs was developed for the INRS community]
2. Developing the global competence and leadership skills students need to effectively collaborate across cultural and national boundaries and across disciplines and sectors in creating a more sustainable future [our unique teaching methods, laboratory- and field-based, and our multicultural environment (66 % of our students come from outside Canada) provide students with the skills necessary]
3. Engaging in actionable research, knowledge sharing, and innovation in collaboration with other local and international organizations [our researchers are collaborating with experts all around the globe]
4. Engaging with private and public actors in leading, guiding and supporting local, national and global responses to the SDGs [our researchers work with public and private partners to make the world a greater place]
5. Recognizing the impact that our own operations have on important sustainable development issues and acting responsibly to address them and serve as an example to others [our application to STARS and THE Impact Rankings]
6. Publicly communicating our progress and being accountable for our outcomes [our first sustainability report, based on the SD action plan, was published in 2023]
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Sustainability Policy : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/POL-Developpement-Durable-VFP.pdf
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Action plan : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Plan_action_EDI_CRC_INRS_2020_12_07.pdf
Institutionnal scientific program 2021-2025 : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/INRS-Programme-Scientifique-Institutionnel-2021-2025.pdf
Strategic Plan 2019-2024 : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/INRS-plan-Strategique-2019-2024.pdf
Sustainability Policy : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/POL-Developpement-Durable-VFP.pdf
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Action plan : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Plan_action_EDI_CRC_INRS_2020_12_07.pdf
Institutionnal scientific program 2021-2025 : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/INRS-Programme-Scientifique-Institutionnel-2021-2025.pdf
Strategic Plan 2019-2024 : https://inrs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/INRS-plan-Strategique-2019-2024.pdf
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.