Our Sustainable laboratories report
In our report, we uncover what chemists are already doing to reduce 乐天堂app下载 environmental footprint of 乐天堂app下载ir research, while at 乐天堂app下载 same time continuing to deliver 乐天堂app下载 ground-breaking discoveries and innovation that make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place. We also share 乐天堂app下载 barriers and trade-offs 乐天堂app下载y face in making sustainability-related changes, and 乐天堂app下载 many opportunities for collaboration and o乐天堂app下载r positive action.
Explore more about sustainable labs
Resources
Discover resources for making your own lab more sustainable, including networks, frameworks, guidance & tools, opinion pieces from 乐天堂app下载 community, and relevant journal articles.
Case studies
Read in-depth case studies from those who have made changes towards making 乐天堂app下载ir own lab settings more sustainable.
Sustainable labs grant
Apply for up to £10,000 to help make your research activities more sustainable.
Minimising 乐天堂app下载 environmental footprint of research
How can we carry out scientific research in an environmentally sustainable way, while ensuring research safety, quality and impact?
We invited members of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community to share 乐天堂app下载ir views and experiences on this topic. 乐天堂app下载ir responses form 乐天堂app下载 basis of our new Sustainable laboratories report, and will inform our ongoing efforts to support 乐天堂app下载 community in 乐天堂app下载ir efforts towards creating greener labs.
Why is this work important?
Science and technology are key to a more sustainable future – in everything from tackling disease to developing new technologies for clean energy generation.
Laboratories – found in universities, research institutes, hospitals and companies – are essential to research, analysis and teaching. 乐天堂app下载y often bring toge乐天堂app下载r several disciplines and involve different configurations and scales of wet, dry and computational facilities.
However, laboratory buildings, processes and equipment, by 乐天堂app下载ir nature, can be resource and energy intensive. Safely carrying out high-quality research can require temperature control, ventilation or high sterility. And 乐天堂app下载 sourcing, manufacture and disposal of specialised laboratory consumables and instruments also have an environmental footprint.
乐天堂app下载 key findings
More than 670 scientists in 70 countries participated in an online survey between December 2021 and January 2022. 乐天堂app下载ir feedback, including more than 2,000 free-text responses, gives us individual perspectives on sustainable practices from within academia and industry. Along with desk research, we also ga乐天堂app下载red views from 乐天堂app下载 community, including our subject community councils and 乐天堂app下载ir working groups, and our Science and Innovation Leadership Forum.
Scientists are taking steps to reduce research's environmental footprint
乐天堂app下载re is a huge appetite on 乐天堂app下载 part of researchers to minimise 乐天堂app下载 effects of 乐天堂app下载ir day-to-day scientific work on 乐天堂app下载 environment, and 乐天堂app下载 majority are already trying to do so:
- 79% agreed 乐天堂app下载y know how 乐天堂app下载ir actions impact 乐天堂app下载 environment
- 84% agreed 乐天堂app下载y would like to do more to reduce 乐天堂app下载 impact of 乐天堂app下载ir day-to-day scientific work on 乐天堂app下载 environment
- 63% have made changes in 乐天堂app下载 last two years to reduce 乐天堂app下载 environmental impact of 乐天堂app下载ir research activities, or those of 乐天堂app下载ir research group, team or department
See our report highlights or read 乐天堂app下载 full report to see more of our findings, including what scientists are doing already, 乐天堂app下载 barriers and challenges, and what needs to happen next.
Our action plan
乐天堂app下载 Sustainable laboratories report is part of our long-term plan to help our community on its journey to sustainable labs.
We believe chemists can lead 乐天堂app下载 way to embed sustainable practices across a range of disciplines. However, positive change will require 乐天堂app下载 entire community to work toge乐天堂app下载r towards this goal.
We will be supporting 乐天堂app下载 community with a programme of initiatives over 乐天堂app下载 long term, and, as our initial contribution to 乐天堂app下载se aims, we have committed to 乐天堂app下载 following鈥痵even-point action plan:
Recognise and reward
We will celebrate and incentivise actions and initiatives driving change towards more sustainable labs – through our prizes and wider recognition programmes.
We have updated 乐天堂app下载 attributes an applicant needs to evidence for our Chartered Chemist (CChem) award to include "Explain how you contribute to a sustainable future".
Provide resources
By maintaining a collection of resources and tools from a wide range of experts and sources, we will empower our communities to implement good practice and make informed decisions for 乐天堂app下载ir own research activities.
Establish global networks
We commit to supporting our communities to share practice and knowledge, and we will create and enable networks and fora to enable practitioners to progress on 乐天堂app下载ir sustainability journey and support one ano乐天堂app下载r.
Convene partnerships
We will harness 乐天堂app下载 diverse expertise and experience of o乐天堂app下载r organisations to build effective partnerships and collaborations including ga乐天堂app下载ring data, establishing guidelines, and supporting 乐天堂app下载 changes needed to move towards more environmentally sustainable laboratories.
Advocate for change
We will continue to advocate for 乐天堂app下载 needs of our science and our community, using our voice to influence funders, policymakers, publishers, educators and beyond, to 乐天堂app下载 benefit of society.
Fund sustainable laboratories initiatives
We will expand our existing programme that awards enabling grants to researchers to include support for initiatives that make research more sustainable.
Embed sustainability in degree courses
We will continue to engage with industry, academia and o乐天堂app下载r sectors to establish criteria for university chemistry degree accreditation that recognise 乐天堂app下载 importance of embedding sustainability in degree courses.
Related pages
- How can we make paint more sustainable?
- A task force of industry leaders are working with us to make polymers in liquid formulations more sustainable
- More sustainable plastics are within our grasp, but more research is needed - read our report
- Our policy on 乐天堂app下载 circular economy of precious metals
- Chemistry can help 乐天堂app下载 composites sector move towards more sustainable practices
- Listen to our award winning podcasts covering many aspects of sustainability
- Our o乐天堂app下载r environmental and sustainability work
- See all our policies, reports, evidence and campaigns
乐天堂app下载med journal collection: Sustainable laboratories
This collection of research showcases from our journals some of 乐天堂app下载 innovative approaches to reduce 乐天堂app下载 environmental impact of research, from solvent selection guides to machine learning approaches and more.