Sustainable Development: what SPE wants you to know

By Alexandra Oh

Sustainable Development Week is a long-standing SPE tradition that raises awareness about local and global environmental issues in fun and exciting ways. In the words of SPE vice-president Ines Piat, it’s “a week to raise awareness about everything around us: food, agriculture, and anything linked to the environment.” Sustainable development is in particular important because it is necessary to make real, continuous, and tangible change. It is a way to look to the future. This year, the main focus of Sustainable Development week was the debates that SPE organized about environmental topics. One concerned the use of Glyphosate and other pesticides by big-name companies like Monsanto. According to Piat, SPE is “trying to focus on current challenges and pros and cons. The question of pesticides is not an easy one to answer: the world can’t just stop using them in a direct switch.”

Sustainable development week at Sciences Po.

In addition to debates discussing hard-hitting questions, like the one on pesticides and another organized by campus debate association Révolte-Toi, SPE has hosted diverse lunch events on different themes. The organization held a sustainable arts workshop to try to get people to create art out of waste in order to draw attention to waste. It also had vegetarian falafels and pitas delivered to campus to show people that being vegetarian doesn’t have to be difficult or bland.

Why is the SPE trying so hard to be heard by Sciences Po students? Piat says that here at Sciences Po, we are the new generation and the leaders of tomorrow. If we change our habits now, we can influence the future. When asked what the one takeaway should be from Sustainable Development Week, Piat answered: “living sustainably is simple on a personal level. Changing habits, especially now, is both easy and vital. Take meat consumption: the meat industry emits more CO2 than all aspects of transport combined. A simple choice of eating meat can affect the environment on so many levels – deforestation and water consumption included.”

Ines Piat, vice president of SPE

SPE has a few more events up its sleeve for the semester. A thermos sale is in the works, as well as a huge surprise event in April involving sports and nature. More conferences and debates will be held, as well as at least one more hike. Most importantly, as Campaign Week approaches, the opportunity for lists to make their voices known comes with it.

So even if you don’t cut meat from your diet or start a compost heap, remember that being environmentally sustainable doesn’t have to be difficult. Incorporating one small change into your daily routine can have a bigger impact than you think.