Home>Alumni profile: Joséphine Van Renterghem
27.10.2025
Alumni profile: Joséphine Van Renterghem

Joséphine Van Renterghem graduated from the Master Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities (GETIC Track) and is currently ecological transformation advisor at the Ministry of Justice in France.
What is your current role?
I am the ecological transformation advisor at the Ministry of Justice, within the Île-de-France Delegation of the General Secretariat. It is an exciting and varied role, which involves me liaising with various departments within the ministry. Internally, I work with support functions to make their operations greener and implement innovative projects. Externally, I coordinate the network of advisors from the ministry's regional directorates (prison administration, judicial services, and youth protection) and provide them with logistical support in the field.
How does your work contribute to the ecological transition?
I provide day-to-day support for the roll-out of the ministry's ecological transformation plan. This is a collective effort aimed at achieving an ambitious goal: carbon neutrality by 2050 and the preservation of our resources. To this end, I lead projects in mobility, food, training, waste reduction, and awareness-raising. I am also responsible for developing sustainable mobility plans for several pilot sites to frame their approach to decarbonising business travel and commuting.
What are the key takeaways from your time at the Urban School?
Thanks to the Master Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities, I developed a comprehensive and detailed understanding of environmental issues in urban areas. By joining the research track, I also wanted to build my knowledge of sociology and better understand the intersections among social organisations and norms, climate change, and transition policies. Writing my research dissertation was one of the most formative experiences of my time at Sciences Po: it allowed me to explore, in the field, perceptions of environmental change in mountain areas and personal and collective resilience strategies.
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