Labos1point5 National Initiative
The management and staff of the MIO have chosen to engage in the Labos1point5 National Initiative, which aims to collectively transform research in response to the climate emergency. The work of climate scientists (IPCC) has led all the countries of the planet to set themselves a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C (Paris Agreements, COP21).
The scientists of the M.I.O., aware for several years of the impacts of ongoing disturbances (warming, habitat destruction, biological invasion...) on marine natural ecosystems, have seized the opportunity to join forces with the initiative of research laboratories at the national level to initiate a reflection on the impact of their research activities on global change. Based on a methodology common to all laboratories participating in Labos1point5, the M.I.O. will quantify its carbon footprint from 2020 and implement a multi-year action plan to gradually reduce it.
To quote the founding text of the national collective: « While some fear that this process might limit our individual liberty or reduce the quality of our research, we think the opposite. Instead, this historic moment is an opportunity for a positive and profound transformation of our daily practices, of our collaborations and data-sharing, and of the methods used to evaluate our work. This transformation cannot take place without breaking down the current model of production and dissemination of academic knowledge, with all its known flaws. The time has come to construct a new research ethics, leading to scientific activities that are just as productive, while also being more thoughtful and more respectful of the environment. In short, the present moment presents an opportunity to create a more humane, a more mindful academic world. »