School of GeoSciences achieves ambitious sustainability award

The School of GeoSciences have been awarded a Silver Sustainable Lab Award. The award recognises progress in improving environmental sustainability across labs within GeoSciences and supports the University’s commitment to sustainable research. 

Environmental concordat

Two years ago, the University of Edinburgh became a signatory of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation practice, developed by more than 25 research institutes, including UKRI and Wellcome.

The Concordat commits the University to ensuring research and innovation is carried out in an environmentally sustainable way, with a focus on laboratories – due to their relatively large environmental impact compared to other workspaces.

Dedicated approach

Over the past 18 months, teams from the College of Science and Engineering (CSE) and the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) have embedded sustainable practices into their labs.

Local sustainability leads from each College worked with the University’s Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SRS) to find ways of achieving the accreditation in line with their ways of working.

Sustainable innovations

In the School of GeoSciences, a range of practical measures are helping to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency across laboratories. A school-wide waste and recycling procedure – supported by clear signage, lab inductions and visible waste hierarchies – ensures consistent good practice across research spaces.

Innovative sharing approaches are also embedded. The School has a sustainable exchange platform which enables staff to share equipment and consumables rather than dispose of them, while facilities such as Analytical Services provide access to shared equipment across GeoSciences, the wider University.

Structured booking systems, clear equipment signage and coordinated lab processes help maximise usage and minimise unnecessary procurement.

Lab auditors

SRS has been training a pool of auditors to observe, shadow and eventually lead sustainability audits in labs across the University.

The training has helped new auditors to improve sustainable research practices through discussing best practice and learning about other sustainability initiatives being trialed across the University.

Previous commitment

The University has been operating its own lab sustainability scheme since 2013, as part of a long-term commitment to mitigating the impact of its scientific research and teaching.

Several large research funders to the University have also made achieving a level of sustainable lab accreditation a condition of receiving funding from 2026 onwards.

The Lab Awards are updated every two years and run on a rolling basis.

Sustainability pledge

The University of Edinburgh is committed to creating a more sustainable world through its world-leading research, teaching, partnerships and innovations.

It is recognised as one of the world’s top universities for environmental and social impact. Tackling the climate and environmental emergencies is a key part of the University’s mission to become carbon neutral by 2040.