Sustainable mobility

How can you simulate the impact of your business trips and home-to-work commute?

You can simulate your emissions with the tools developed by the Labo1.5 group of researchers led by the CNRS:

• To prepare a business trip and choose your modes of transport
• To evaluate the impact of your commute and the reduction in emissions linked to teleworking

Centrale Nantes students have developed the Nos GEStes climat simulator, which you can use to measure your individual work-related carbon footprint each year and take individual action.

Business Trips

As of 1 September 2022, business trips must be made by train if the journey takes less than four and a half hours. See full guidance on the intranet (staff only)

What are the commuting patterns of students and staff?

In 2024, Centrale Nantes took part in the 6th Mobility Challenge in the Loire Atlantique area and relaunched its mobility survey for staff and students.

A commuting survey carried out in 2019 by the students of the Net-Zero Emissions specialisation (in French) assessed student and staff mobility patterns, particularly on home-campus journeys. Thus, 18% of journeys are made by bicycle, 53% by public transport for students, compared to 35% for staff, 20% on foot for students (mainly those living in university residences), with staff hardly ever walking, and 33% by car for staff compared to 5% for students.

How about getting on your bike?

Nantes Métropole encourages people to use their bikes and provides advice and reasons why for daily or occasional trips.

The campus is equipped with covered bicycle shelters at several points on the campus (with the capacity to accommodate 250 bicycles securely).

A tooling station for routine bicycle maintenance was installed in 2021 thanks to funding from the Loire Atlantique. Cycle paths run the lengths of the River Erdre to campus.

Nantes Métropole is a partner of the Geovelo GPS application with a choice of itineraries (direct, secure, balanced, electrically assisted, self-service bicycle, etc.).

Bicloo is a self-service bicycle system with a station a few minutes' walk from the campus.

 

Carpooling

In 2018, the share of carpooling for commuting was 2 to 3% (students and staff).

Naolib is a partner of the BlablacarDaily (Klaxit) application, also used at Nantes Université, and includes carpooling in the subscription or tickets.  

Centrale Nantes is committed to active mobility

Centrale Nantes has set up a Mobility Plan for its employees and signed a level 3 mobility package in March 2021 to further promote soft mobility. Employees benefit from the sustainable mobility package if they use bicycles or carpooling for the journey between home and campus (information from HR). Learn more (on intranet - staff only - in French)

How transport contributes to Centrale Nantes' carbon footprint

Daily travel is responsible for the emission of 720 tCO2eq, i.e. 13% of the school's total Carbon footprint. With 478 tCO2eq, the thermal car represents 67% of the emissions, although it is only used by 19% of the users. Public transport accounts for the second largest share of emissions with 200 tCO2eq and 28% of the total. Emissions from other electric vehicles, electric bikes and electric cars are extremely low compared to the rest.

Data extrapolated from mobility surveys conducted by students in 2021 with regard to 2020. This data will be updated with the results of the 2024 mobility survey.