The University of Bristol has a strong track record of sustainability action and became the first university to declare a 'Climate Emergency' in April. With sustainability high on the agenda, there is increasing pressure to demonstrate our commitment to reducing the university’s environmental impact and meet our 2030 carbon neutrality pledge.

A significant proportion of the university’s carbon emissions come from energy-usage, with laboratories accounting for 40% of energy consumption despite only taking up 6% of total space. Everyday lab equipment can have huge energy costs, for example, a standard -80°C freezer alone, can use as much energy as a small house (~20 kWh/day). Reducing the environmental impact of energy-intensive labs therefore plays a pivotal role in our carbon strategy.

The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) is a new programme that provides a defined sustainability standard to help laboratories reduce their environmental impact. As well as improving laboratory sustainability, LEAF also aims to be incorporated into research grants to promote the funding of greener research.

This year, LEAF was piloted nationally and received over 100 submissions from 16 universities. Across the UK, lab users are estimated to have saved a total of £400,000 through reducing energy, waste, consumables and equipment costs. The scheme was also met with a positive response from the scientific community: three quarters of LEAF participants reported that it drove new improvements and 98% said they would take-part in the programme again. 

32 teams from the University of Bristol participated in Green Lab Accreditation 2019, saving an impressive 92 tonnes of carbon, enough to fill 18 hot air balloons! Over a fifth of Bristol’s total lab space gained Green Lab Accreditation with five teams achieving gold, six achieving silver, and twenty-one achieving bronze. In addition, Bristol’s Biomedical Sciences Building, gained 100% Green Lab Accreditation for the second year running, upholding its title as the UK's largest, green accredited research building. 

As scientists, it is important that we are at the forefront of sustainable practices and set an example for the community and our students to follow. Green Lab Accreditation will play a fundamental role in enabling us to meet our climate targets. We encourage our STEM colleagues to help us build on this year’s success and sign-up for Green Labs Accreditation 2020.

October 2019