Go to main content

MaTerrathon: 300 participants come together to envision the ecological transition at Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA

Over the course of 180 minutes, 300 students and staff members from Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA took part in the MaTerrathon on October 20, a large-scale collective experiment designed to explore the ecological transition of their institution. Inspired by the national initiative “Ma Terre en 180 minutes,” this workshop aimed to explore, in a concrete and deliberative manner, how to reduce the institution’s environmental footprint across various areas: food, transportation, energy, digital technology, research, and education.

Gathered around 36 thematic tables, participants discussed, quantified, and prioritized their proposals: reducing and decarbonizing transportation, creating an environmental fund, promoting plant-based diets, improving waste sorting, sharing audiovisual equipment, and promoting energy efficiency in buildings. At the end of the discussions, the scenarios developed showed a median reduction of 39.2% in the carbon footprint—an ambitious result, but one that aligns with the regulatory obligations of Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA.

 

 

The feedback survey, which was completed by more than 200 people, reflects a strong sense of collective commitment: an overwhelming majority expressed satisfaction with the experience, describing it as “stimulating,” “friendly,” and “useful.” The most frequently cited favorite initiative was the establishment of a green participatory budget.

 

The discussions continued into the afternoon during a series of interdisciplinary panels, where researchers and practitioners explored the connections between sustainability, social justice, and environmental democracy. The results of the MaTerrathon will now inform several research projects—two theses and five scientific publications currently in progress—and a program aimed at reaching new audiences, including the “Ma Terre en classe” project, a role-playing game focused on decarbonization for high school students. 

 

As Simon Persico put it,“Learning through play, dialogue, and negotiation around decarbonization measures brings the transition to life: this MaTerrathon marks the start of an ambitious, collective journey.”