As one of the institutions that supported the development of the new standard, Bangor University is delighted to be among the first tranche of universities to sign the environmental sustainability concordat for research.
In adopting the concordat, the University will work towards developing new research practices that will expect researchers to use the most sustainable approaches they can, and to explain in new grant applications how they plan to reduce energy consumption, reuse equipment, and recycle waste products, it was announced today. The requirements are part of a new Wellcome policy that sets out expectations for sustainable research.
We are delighted to sign the concordat and to work towards this environmental sustainability standard for research. The standard fits in with both our ambitions to become a global centre of excellence in sustainability and to conduct internationally excellent and relevant research which is also grounded and linked to the environment we live and work in.
Our aims need to be reflected not only in what we do but in the way that we do them.
Cross-sector environmental sustainability concordat
Scientific research is at the forefront of finding solutions to the climate crisis and its impacts on our health. Yet all types of research – from lab to computational to field – have an impact on our environment.
The voluntary environmental sustainability concordat was co-developed by more than 25 organisations across the UK research and innovation sector. The concordat supports the wider ambition set out by the UK Government to achieve net zero by 2050. Concordat signatories and supporters commit to progressively embedding environmental sustainability into all research and innovation practices.
The concordat is aimed at all organisations in the research and innovation sector. An initial group of 15 signatories and six supporters have joined at launch, and they are calling on other organisations to do the same. The ambition is to create meaningful, and long-lasting impact to reduce the environmental impacts of carrying out research.
Signatories agree to action six priority areas outlined in the concordat, such as maintaining transparency about the environmental impacts of research output and finding new climate-conscious, low-carbon approaches. There is also an expected commitment from signatories to publicly share how their organisations will deliver its sustainability aims and publish annual summaries of progress.
Cancer Research UK (CRUK), an initial signatory of the concordat, have also developed a new policy introducing requirements for grant applicants and core-funded institutes to demonstrate the environmental sustainability of their labs, as well as for institutions hosting CRUK-funded researchers.
Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said, “We have a key part to play in reducing the environmental impact of our research by addressing how the labs and facilities we fund operate, enabling researchers to carry out their activities in a sustainable manner. The concordat will allow us to work together to build a more sustainable research system."
The concordat represents a shared ambition for the UK to continue delivering cutting-edge research but in a more environmentally responsible way. It also recognises the critical role of research and innovation to understand how our planet is changing, and creating solutions to the challenges we face.
Organisations from across the UK research and innovation sector have worked together, involving extensive consultation, to develop the set of priorities and responsible behaviours set out in the concordat. The final document is owned collectively by the UK research and innovation sector.
Wellcome is hosting the concordat on its site providing information on how to join, alongside a regularly maintained list of signatories and supporters. The EAUC will provide the secretariat function for the concordat's signatories. A new oversight group will be formed to co-ordinate a review of the content and impact of the concordat in line with new innovations in sustainability.
List of initial concordat signatories at launch:
- Bangor University
- British Academy
- Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
- John Innes Centre
- Keele University
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
- University College London (UCL)
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Essex
- University of Glasgow
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE)
- Wellcome
List of initial concordat supporters at launch:
- Academy of Medical Sciences
- Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)
- Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfENI)
- Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC)
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Royal Society
