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The DD&RS Label

A label born of a strong ambition

Nearly 9 in 10 students have never heard of the DD&RS label. Yet today it shapes the sustainability strategy of dozens of French universities and grandes écoles.

Created at the end of 2015, the Sustainable Development & Social Responsibility label (DD&RS) grew out of a collective effort bringing together universities, grandes écoles, the sector’s conferences (CGE, France Universités), two ministries and the student network RESES. Operated by the CIRSES association, it follows on from the Plan Vert (Green Plan) introduced by the Grenelle I law (2009).

Its objective: to give national and international recognition to the sustainability efforts of higher education institutions, across all their missions – governance, teaching, research, environmental management and social policy.

Where do things stand today?

Almost ten years after its creation, 64 institutions now hold the label (49 schools and 15 universities).

This figure should be put in perspective with the French landscape: in 2024, there were 71 universities, 295 engineering schools and 423 business, management and accounting schools. Of these, 15 universities hold the label, or about 21%. Among schools, the proportion remains low: fewer than one in ten currently holds the label.

The process distinguishes two levels of maturity (2 or 4 years) and works as a peer-sharing tool: each labelled institution trains auditors who, in turn, contribute to the scheme.

Criteria and the labelling process

Eligibility requirements

Before the audit even starts, several formal criteria are checked:

  • being a member of CIRSES (full membership €1,000/year or associate membership €350/year),
  • having completed, in the previous year, the self-assessment on the PERSEES platform,
  • submitting a complete application (commitment charter, letter of application, administrative documents),
  • having attended the CIRSES webinars on the procedure.

The 8 key steps

  1. Internal preparation: gathering evidence, PERSEES self-assessment.
  2. Submission of the application.
  3. Admissibility check by CIRSES.
  4. Document review and interviews by a mixed team (lead auditor, expert, 2 RESES students).
  5. Draft report shared with the institution.
  6. Final report validated by the auditors.
  7. Expert committee: analysis and recommendations.
  8. Labelling committee: final decision (2- or 4-year label).

Since September 2025, institutions can apply at any time of the year.

How much does it cost?

  • Mandatory CIRSES membership:
    • €1,000/year for full members,
    • €350/year for associate members (without full access to the labelling process).
  • Possible indirect costs: internal staff time, preparation of documentation, participation in training.

A recognised label, but still little known among students

Despite its structuring role, the label remains marginal in students’ perception, according to a recent report by the Bureau National des Étudiants en école de Management (BNEM).

This national survey was conducted in autumn 2023 among nearly 2,000 respondents from the 36 schools of the CDEFM (Conférence des Directeurs des Écoles Françaises de Management). Distributed online through BNEM networks and school administrations, it included 21 questions organised around three themes:

  1. Ecological issues in choosing a school (importance of rankings, labels, accreditations, etc.).
  2. The place of ecological issues in the curriculum (courses, student societies, Climate Fresk-type workshops, awareness-raising).
  3. The integration of ecological issues into professional life (internships, responsible careers).

The main findings show that:

  • Students give an average score of 7.45/10 to the importance of ecological issues.
  • Yet 63% say they do not know any ecology-related label in higher education.
  • Only 12.7% know the DD&RS label, a score comparable to the Positive Impact Rating (13.5%) and lower than the Shift Project (14.6%).
  • Even among “eco-sensitive” students (scoring the importance of these issues 7 to 10/10), nearly 60% do not know any label.
  • Finally, when choosing a school, traditional rankings (SIGEM, L’Étudiant, Financial Times) clearly dominate, followed by international accreditations (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA), while labels come far behind (only 4% rank them as their first criterion).

The study thus highlights a gap: students say they are very concerned about the ecological emergency, but do not yet translate this concern into their criteria for choosing a school, for lack of visibility of, and trust in, sustainability labels.

Why persevere?

Despite this low profile, the benefits are clear:

  • Internal structure: a common framework to steer the DD&RS strategy.
  • External credibility: national recognition by public bodies and peers.
  • Community: a network for exchange and co-construction.

Above all, at a time when the Haut Conseil pour le Climat (France’s High Council on Climate) stresses that France must more than double the current pace of emission reductions to reach carbon neutrality, the label stands out as an essential lever for credibility and action.

Conclusion

The DD&RS label was created with a strong ambition: to transform higher education through a systemic and demanding approach to sustainable development.

Ten years on, it has brought together more than 60 institutions, but remains too discreet among students. The challenge for the coming years will be to raise its profile so that it becomes a selection criterion as natural as rankings or international accreditations.

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