Research laboratories can have a significant impact on the environment, often consuming vast quantities of energy, water and plastic while producing enormous amounts of waste. To help tackle this issue and generate a culture of sustainability within scientific research, University College London founded The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) programme in 2018. The framework sets out several sustainability criteria for labs to meet in order to qualify for a bronze, silver or gold LEAF certification and provides calculators to track the resulting carbon and financial savings. By meeting LEAF criteria, lab users can benefit from reduced utility bills, increased research efficiency and greater access to additional funding, all while minimising their environmental footprint.

Last summer, the University of Bristol became the first university in the world to gain Bronze LEAF certifications in all 990 lab spaces. Building upon this success, Bristol Medical School has now been awarded Silver LEAF certifications in 41 lab spaces across two of their buildings: the BRI Level 7 and Bioresource labs. The Silver certifications were issued within less than a week of each other and are the first to be awarded this year at the University.

The Silver award includes 11 different criteria and holds a particular focus on increasing equipment efficiency, reducing single-use plastics and communicating negative scientific results. The BRI Level 7 and Bioresource labs successfully met every criterion required for the award, including regular discussion of sustainability topics within group meetings, raising the temperature of ultralow freezers and participating in recycling schemes. The labs even went the extra mile to implement several other sustainable practices. For example, staff at the BRI Level 7 building created a pipette shop to repair and resell unused pipettes for a discounted price, generating £400 in savings so far. Both buildings also completed this year’s Freezer Challenge, an international competition promoting energy efficient practices in cold storage management.

These latest accreditations add to Bristol Medical School’s impressive track record regarding sustainability. Bristol Medical School is currently the only STEM School to appoint both academic and technical staff roles dedicated towards improving their sustainability, demonstrating their diligent commitments towards green research practices. The awards also place the School in a fantastic position to achieve its goal of gaining Silver LEAF certifications in all lab spaces by the end of the year. Bristol Medical School’s remarkable progress further contributes to our wider institutional goals of gaining Silver certifications in every STEM School by 2024 and becoming net-zero by 2030.