Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

In the field of energy, INSA Lyon has been actively working for many years to define a trajectory for energy and ecological transition. As early as 2019, INSA Lyon sought to integrate socio-ecological and digital issues into the engineering curriculum, from the first to the fifth year, across all its specializations. This curriculum evolution project continues an important partnership between the INSA Group and the NGO The Shift Project, aimed at defining a new skills framework for INSA engineers. In 2022, The Shift Project and the INSA Group published their final report, “ClimatSup INSA: Training the 21st-Century Engineer.”

Discover the final report

In 2019-2020, INSA Lyon adopted a roadmap to integrate socio-ecological issues into the core of the training program for all engineering students (approximately 1,100 per cohort) across all five years of study. The objective: to prepare graduates to become transition actors within the organizations that will employ them. The "Convergence" project, an innovative program in several respects, supports this transformation, integrating socio-ecological and digital issues into INSA Lyon's curriculum.

Learn more about “Convergence” and the transformation of training at INSA Lyon

The ambition to educate all students on socio-ecological issues naturally raises the question of acculturation and training for the entire academic community (all staff). To address this question and actively involve staff, students, and stakeholders, INSA Lyon is organizing an Assembly for Ecological and Social Transition. Inspired by the Citizens' Climate Convention and the Business Climate Convention, this Assembly will take place from May to November 2024, contributing to the institution's strategy update and the development of the Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility (DD&RSE) master plan requested by the French Ministry of Higher Education.

Discover the Assembly for Ecological and Social Transition

The R&D subsidiary, INSAVALOR, offers a dozen professional training programs directly related to this issue. Much of the research is developed in close partnership with companies and local authorities, and INSA Lyon has structured and drives its research based on its involvement in five major societal challenges. The “Energy and Sustainable Development” challenge is directly linked to the energy transition policies set by the French government and the European Union.

Energy efficiency in real estate and the development of renewable energies are indeed priority areas, along with reducing environmental impacts related to water management, biodiversity, and green spaces. This commitment to sustainability has been central to the school’s strategy for many years, notably by establishing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory in 2009, along with an action plan for reduction and offsetting.

In 2016, a complete diagnostic of the energy and ecological aspects of the campus buildings was conducted as part of the large-scale "Lyon Campus City Project," with 10 buildings currently undergoing thermal and energy upgrades. INSA Lyon's energy policy reduced energy consumption by 43% between 2015 and 2019, and doubled the share of renewable energy in its total energy mix across all utilities (heating, electricity, gas), with renewables now representing 73% of supplied energy (65% renewables for heating and 100% for electricity). In addition to its institutional commitment (connection to a district heating network mainly powered by non-fossil fuels, photovoltaic electricity production, etc.), INSA Lyon is an active member of the Local Energy and Climate Agency of Lyon Metropolis (ALEC).

LyonTech-la Doua Campus Project

In September 2024, INSA Lyon launched its media platform, Point de Bascule, designed as a minimalist tool providing content that encourages reflection and deepens understanding of societal issues. In response to socio-ecological challenges that question our lifestyles, citizens, engineers, and researchers feel the need to open up debate, better understand these issues, and stimulate reflection. This platform invites a shift in perspective and the imagination of new possibilities.

Follow news on Sustainable Development Goal 7: "Affordable and Clean Energy" on Point de Bascule

Our Specialized Master’s programs in affordable and clean energy:

Environmental and Eco-Efficiency Manager: A program supporting sustainable development and aligned with the climate plan's "Factor 4."
Expert in Electrified Vehicles: A program to create the vehicles of tomorrow.