Green Lab - monitor and reduce the environmental impact of research

In January 2020, the team started to work with two SV labs, Oates lab and van der Goot lab, who are sensitive to climate issues and volunteered to participate. The scientific collaborators in both labs opened the doors to allow the eight students from the Zero Emission Group, supported by experts from Sustainability SV, EPFL and Quantis to collect the necessary data related to carbon emission and issue the Carbon Accounting Report.

Stakeholders of the Carbon Accounting Report

Results of the report

The analysis of the 2019 data from the two labs showed that professional activities in the labs lead to more than 4 tons CO₂ equivalent (t eq. CO₂) per person per year. Business travel accounts for 50% of the emissions, electricity consumption and consumer goods also play a significant role, about 20% each. Commuting and heating take up the remaining 10%. 

Overall emissions in Oates and van der Goot (VDG) labs

Recommendations to mitigate emissions in labs

The Carbon Accounting Report also contains recommendations in six areas to help reduce emissions in the labs, among them are for example to follow the guidelines of TLWL, to shut down equipment when not in use, to save light and freezer space, to share consumable goods, recycle products, keep inventories updated, use public transport and bike and share workspace on clouds.

Next steps of Green Lab

We are working on several concrete activities

• Create and implement a tool that will allow all labs at the School of Life Sciences and EPFL to calculate their CO₂ emissions
• Elaborate recommendations of good practices for sustainable laboratories
• Analyse the impact of changes implemented after the 2014 Life Cycle Analysis at the animal facility
• Effectuate a study on on-site recycling of chemical products together with the histology platform
• Create an international working group with other universities to share tools and have a publish together