Warwick joins Cambridge and St Andrews in sustainable research scheme

Warwick has pledged to “lead by example” in the field of research and innovation, as part of an environmental concordat whose signatories include the University of Cambridge and the University of St Andrews.

The University announced in a press release that it had “joined over 35 institutions” as a signatory to the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice.

The University is committing to sustainable research and ‘sector-wide change by 2050′

The University is committing to sustainable research and “sector-wide change by 2050”. The concordat was established in April this year.

Signatories to the concordat “agree to work individually and collectively” on improving the environmental sustainability of UK research and innovation in a contribution to the effort to achieve net zero.

Non-profit associations and charities such as the Royal Society, Cancer Research UK, and the British Heart Foundation have backed the agreement.

This is in addition to government bodies including the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The University must now observe the following six priorities: “Leadership and system change”, “Sustainable infrastructure”, “Sustainable procurement”, “Emissions from business and academic travel”, “Collaborations and partnerships”, and “Environmental impact and reporting data”.

Warwick commits to increased transparency and annual reporting on the environmental impacts of research

By signing up, Warwick commits to increased transparency and annual reporting on the environmental impacts of research. Carbon emissions will be only one of many areas examined.

This will be part of a university-wide effort led by the Energy and Sustainability Team. It is intended to improve the efficiency and sustainability of research initiatives on campus.

One such initiative is the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework. The framework involves regular auditing of research and teaching facilities to reduce waste.

Professor Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla, the Academic Director for Sustainability, said: “We have already identified key areas for improvement and have begun developing action plans to help us achieve these goals.”

As the University aims for net zero carbon emissions from energy by 2030, the concordat accompanies other sustainability measures including the Energy Strategy and WMG’s Net Zero Innovation Network.