MRC Climate Crisis Network
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Dundee
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
There is a pressing need for all MRC Units, Centres and Institutes (together with their host institutions) to understand the major components of their carbon footprint, and then commit to achieving maximum cuts to their emissions in the shortest possible timeframe. Here, we aim to create a national ‘MRC Climate Crisis Network’ of Units, Centres and Institutes. The network will be established and led by a small and committed team of Units. These Units will collaboratively investigate their own carbon footprints, share the analyses, and use the data to begin to build a sustainability action plan. All other Units, Centres and Institutes would be invited subsequently to join the network and to sign up to the action plan, which will evolve in response to the latest science.
Technical Summary
There is a pressing need for all MRC Units, Centres and Institutes (together with their host institutions) to understand the major components of their carbon footprint, and then commit to achieving maximum cuts to their emissions in the shortest possible timeframe. Here, we aim to create a national ‘MRC Climate Crisis Network’ of Units, Centres and Institutes. The network will be established and led by a small and committed team of Units. These Units will collaboratively investigate their own carbon footprints, share the analyses, and use the data to begin to build a sustainability action plan. All other Units, Centres and Institutes would be invited subsequently to join the network and to sign up to the action plan, which will evolve in response to the latest science.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Dario Alessi (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Chair of EMBO Lab Sustainability Award Advisory Board |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://www.embo.org/the-embo-communities/embo-lab-sustainability-award/ |
| Description | Head of Climate Action and Sustainability for School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | See contributions described above. |
| Description | Carbon Footprint Analysis of MRC units leading to a science-based plan for NetZero |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Department | MRC Human Genetics Unit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have worked with Sweco to gather all the data needed for the initial analysis in Dundee. Then we have worked with MRC HGU and MRC MBU to help them gather data for their own carbon-footprint analysis, based on our work in MRC PPU. Through regular contact between MRC PPU and the Green Teams at MRC HGU and MRC MBU, we have pooled expertise and shared our data and experience, to help improve sustainability of research in all three centres. To guide actions in all three Units, we have used the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) established by UCL, together with an equivalent scheme in Edinburgh. To provide independent quality control in this work, we will assess the submissions to LEAF of MRC MBU in Cambridge. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MRC HGU and MRC MBU submitted their data for their respective carbon footprint analysis to our partner company Sweco. MRC MBU also aassessed the MRC PPU submission to LEAF scheme for the bronze and silver awards. Through regular contact between our Green Teams and Sustainability Officers, MRC HGU and MRC MBU have continued to pool expertise and share data and experience with MRC PPU, to help improve sustainability of research in all three centres. |
| Impact | Carbon Footprint Analysis and Pathway to NetZero for MRC PPU / MRC MBU / MRC HGU. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Carbon Footprint Analysis of MRC units leading to a science-based plan for NetZero |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Department | MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have worked with Sweco to gather all the data needed for the initial analysis in Dundee. Then we have worked with MRC HGU and MRC MBU to help them gather data for their own carbon-footprint analysis, based on our work in MRC PPU. Through regular contact between MRC PPU and the Green Teams at MRC HGU and MRC MBU, we have pooled expertise and shared our data and experience, to help improve sustainability of research in all three centres. To guide actions in all three Units, we have used the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) established by UCL, together with an equivalent scheme in Edinburgh. To provide independent quality control in this work, we will assess the submissions to LEAF of MRC MBU in Cambridge. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MRC HGU and MRC MBU submitted their data for their respective carbon footprint analysis to our partner company Sweco. MRC MBU also aassessed the MRC PPU submission to LEAF scheme for the bronze and silver awards. Through regular contact between our Green Teams and Sustainability Officers, MRC HGU and MRC MBU have continued to pool expertise and share data and experience with MRC PPU, to help improve sustainability of research in all three centres. |
| Impact | Carbon Footprint Analysis and Pathway to NetZero for MRC PPU / MRC MBU / MRC HGU. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Academy of Medical Sciences' FORUM workshop participation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Academy of Medical Sciences' FORUM held a workshop on "enabling environmentally sustainable biomedical research". As part of this event I was part of the working group discussions on challenges of enabling greener clinical research practice. This event comprised of policy makers, funders and representatives of research sectors both academic and in industry from across the country. This was then compiled into a report shared with relevant organisations in industry, academia, and healthcare across all four nations of the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Creative Workshop with Lab Plastics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We partnered with Creative Dundee, a local art and creativity group to engage women and children from ethnic backgrounds in education about the climate crisis. This demographic suffers the most of the effects of climate change and the burden of behaviour change often falls to this sector of family life. We stepped in to show both how plastic was a force for good and also how it has become so prevalent that we are overwhelmed by the challenge of dealing with the excess. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://creativedundee.com/2023/10/blog-science-meets-art/ |
| Description | Framework for Scientific Research in Environmental Crisis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An interactive presentation was made to the undergraduate students beginning their first year at university. The presentation was a framework of the climate crisis and how our work as researchers can exacerbate this with energy consumption and production of plastic waste - going against the goal of most aspiring scientists. The presentation was to give the students some understanding that laboratory based, scientific research has a culture that can be changed and to look at all aspects of undergraduate life. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to Technician's Commitment Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Travelled to the Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh to present work on calculating the carbon footprint of life science institutes and challenges inherent in Sustainability for Laboratory scientists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |