The Road to a Sustainable Campus: the LiveTREE project

The Live TREE project, led by Université Catholique de Lille, has transformed the university campus into a living laboratory for ecological and societal transition. Launched in 2013, the initiative develops and tests innovative solutions related to energy, mobility, urban nature, and sustainable infrastructure through interdisciplinary research, teaching activities, and real-world demonstrator projects. By engaging students, researchers, businesses, and local communities, the programme fosters collaboration and experimentation to accelerate sustainable change. 

An example of the LiveTREE projecy is the on-campus Rizomm building, which was completely renovated between 2016 and 2018. The green transformation facilitated the collection of renewable energy through solar panels, decreased electricity consumption, and reduced greengouse gas emissions. Currently, students and researchers are encouraged to collaborate on continued research related to the sustainability of the infrastructur across the Catholic University of Lille campus. These efforts contribute to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG9 (industry, innovation & infrastructure) SDG11 (sustainable cities), 13 (climate action).

Learn more about the LiveTREE project here.