Over the course of three days in December, IQS hosted the 2tonnes Workshops, an innovative, participatory, and educational experience focused on raising awareness about carbon footprints and the challenges of climate neutrality. The sessions were held in both the morning and afternoon and involved students, faculty, and staff from the institution.
IQS Promotes Climate Awareness with the “2tonnes” Workshops as Part of the “Get Moving for Change” Campaign
The activity forms part of the institutional campaign Get Moving for Change: Positive Footprint, an IQS initiative aimed at promoting a culture of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and collective commitment to addressing the major climate challenges of the 21st century. In particular, the campaign has focused on carbon footprints.
Under the slogan Positive Footprint, the 2tonnes workshop is offering an interactive and collaborative game in which participants make decisions related to energy, transport, food, consumption, and public policy, and observe how they all affect global CO₂ emissions in real time. The objective is clear: understanding which individual and collective actions are necessary to reach the 2 tonnes of CO₂ per person limit by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement.
The workshops were led by Jesús Villalobos, PhD in Environmental Process Engineering from the Institut Catholique d’Arts et Métiers in Toulouse, who emphasized the pedagogical value of simulation in addressing a “large and complex challenge, but one that is full of opportunities.”
The sessions sparked highly enriching discussions among participants, who were able to experience the real impact of everyday and structural decisions in a hands-on manner, as well as learn about the importance of coordinated action. For many attendees, the workshop provided an immersive, innovative, and motivating way to learn about sustainability, far removed from traditional theoretical approaches.
In addition to the workshops, Jesús Villalobos gave a lecture focused on the challenges associated with water scarcity, a key issue in the current climate emergency and particularly relevant for the training of future professionals in scientific and technological fields.
Through initiatives such as the 2tonnes workshops, IQS is reaffirming its commitment to comprehensive and critical education aligned with the values of sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility, fostering a university community that is active and aware of its impact on the world.