Meet Justine Birot, EcoTrail Paris® Sustainable Development Manager

Today, Justine explains her role within EcoTrail Paris, the event's sustainable development strategy and her commitment to taking action for the planet.

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Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

So, my name is Justine. I've always worked in the sports world, whether in marketing, communications or project management.

I discovered the world of running while managing various projects with a large number of participants. In managing these projects, I was extremely frustrated at organizing things that didn't correspond at all to my values and way of thinking, particularly in terms of the eco-responsibility issues that were already present in my life at the time.

In the meantime, confinement came along, and that really strengthened my interest in sustainable development. I became aware of what was at stake, and that's when I started to learn about more technical subjects. I then had the opportunity to join the EcoTrail Paris® and work on this issue.

So I've always been interested in sustainable development, and now I'm lucky enough to be able to make it my job. I continue to train myself to propose actions that will enable me to be ever more eco-responsible.

What is the EcoTrail Paris® strategy in terms of sustainable development?

I think we really need to differentiate between two main points: actions in the field and raising awareness. How to reduce pollution and have the least impact on the environment, that's the field part. Raising awareness means seeing how we can raise the awareness of the EcoTrail Paris® community, i.e. 14,000 runners and 800 volunteers. It's almost as important as reducing our own carbon footprint, because the measures we've put in place are already working very well. We've been pioneers in this field for a long time. Now, the challenge is to know how to communicate it, how to get people to adopt more eco-responsible practices in their daily lives, and to raise awareness of the challenges that lie ahead.

So our strategy is built around 7 pillars.

1. Eco-mobility

This part will concern all transport, i.e. how to get to the event and how to make travel as clean as possible. Ultimately, the aim is for no one to come by plane.

2. Enhancing our heritage

We are aware that we will never be neutral on the environment. We're bound to have an impact on biodiversity and natural sites where we pass. So we're very keen to rehabilitate the sites we pass through, by contributing financially to their restoration.

3. Catering

It's also the key pillar this year, as we want to transform our food with local, organic and seasonal products. We prefer to work locally and directly with producers, as this will have less of a carbon impact than organic produce from Brazil.

4. Sport, health and solidarity

When we talk about sustainable development, we're talking not just about ecology, but also about social development. It means making the event accessible to as many people as possible.

5. Carbon: water, energy, waste

A great deal of work has already been done since 2015 on waste sorting, and we've been a pioneer in setting up compost for bio-waste, i.e. banana peels, everything food-related. We're working with a company called Moulinot, which recovers all this and turns it into compost to recycle the waste. This also goes hand in hand with the ban on plastic bottles, for example.

6. Raising awareness

This year's highlight is our partnership with MyCo2, developed by Carbone 4, the benchmark in sustainable development strategy consulting. We'll be working with them to raise awareness among our participants and volunteers.

7. Responsible purchasing

We are now trying to relocalize our purchases and, above all, to work with players in the social economy.

What eco-responsible goals does EcoTrail Paris® want to achieve in the coming years? What actions could help us achieve them?  

We have different objectives. First of all, we want to relocate as many purchases as possible with the means at our disposal. We also want to become a real platform for raising awareness and mobilizing people throughout the year. We're also looking to reduce our carbon footprint by using green power generators. Last but not least, we want to get closer to sports and health centres, to make the EcoTrail Paris® a real part of the process of resuming physical activity.

What efforts do you make on a daily basis to protect the planet?

So, I think there's a lot we can all do on a daily basis. I strongly invite you to attend a MyCo2 conference which gives tips on how to make a real impact. Today, there are a lot of preconceived ideas, for example about sorting or zero waste. It's very fashionable and it's all very well. We have to do it, but it's not going to have the biggest impact on reducing our emissions. Today, if we want to have a real impact, it's going to be through mobility. I'm lucky enough to be in Paris and to be able to get around easily, without a car or scooter. I also try to fly less. For example, a weekend in New York is out of the question. If you're going away, it's for a longer period and you've thought about the trip and you know the impact it's going to have to take the plane. I try to limit myself to flying once a year. And of course, my food is seasonal, preferably organic and from the Ile-de-France region. These days, if you're in Paris, there are a lot of stores that put producers in direct contact with consumers. So I prefer to buy from an economy that I find more virtuous than going to the big chains.

Any advice for those who want to take action for the environment every day?

The best advice is, firstly, "Get informed", because it's important to be aware of what's at stake. And secondly, "Talk about it". Today, if you want to get things moving, if you're convinced that there's a climate emergency. It's really important to talk about it. And I think that's why I chose to work exclusively in this sector. My response to this emergency is to raise awareness as much as possible. The more we talk about it, the more people will be mobilized, and the more things will change. Because even if everyone makes a lot of effort, that's not how we're really going to be able to take significant action on emissions. It's also going to be through the actions of governments, businesses, etc... Everyone needs to be mobilized, and we need to raise awareness as much as possible.