You must consider the environmental impacts of conducting your research. It is an important element of research integrity and ethics. The University of Bath has committed to reducing the carbon emissions associated with undertaking research through the Climate Action Framework Principles.
This approach is reflected by funding bodies and partners who increasingly demand that research proposals consider and reduce their effect on the environment. For example, UKRI’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Wellcome Trust’s Guidelines on Good Environmental Practice both detail their commitments to reducing the environmental impacts of their funded research.
Understanding your research partner or funder’s approach
When proposing to work with a research funder or industrial partner, you should consider their associated climate impact to identify any conflicts of interest that could cause or suggest influence, and to ensure they’re also committed to reducing emissions from research.
You should find out:
- the core business of your research partner or funder
- if there are disparities between their work and reducing the impacts of climate change, or the area of study for your research
- what steps the research partner has taken to reduce their emissions
In the past, some industrial partners have funded research that aims to deny and disprove climate science. While much has changed since then, you should consider the implications of association with funders or partners.
Reducing carbon emissions from research
As a university, carbon emissions associated with the way we travel and the products we buy account for more than 75% of our overall carbon footprint.
You can reduce carbon emissions associated with your research, by focusing on:
Research work in laboratories is fundamental to our work at the University but it is energy and resource intensive. You should consider how you can reduce emissions throughout your research, from the initial proposal stages onwards.
To improve laboratory sustainability and efficiency, the University runs the LEAF programme. Find out more about LEAF and how you can get your lab involved.
Principles for ethical research
In line with research ethics, all our research should adhere to the principles of responsibility, integrity, and doing no harm. In the context of climate change and environmental impacts, this means you must:
- avoid harming humans, animals, and ecosystems that are directly and indirectly impacted by the research process and results
- take account of long-term, indirect, or unintended consequences of your research
- consider the theoretical impact of research within current systems against practical potential in a rapidly changing world, for example, if your research reduces emissions from a technology that is being phased out for cleaner alternatives you should calculate potential impact based on these changes
- account for the systemic causes of climate change and consider the ethical implications of whether these systems are supporting or being compounded by your research, or example, avoid working with partners or funders who are seeking to justify actions that cause climate change
Explaining climate action and environmental impact in the ethics process
It’s helpful to include as much detail as you can in your answer to this section. We would suggest including the following headings, noting how you have factored carbon reduction into your proposal for each section, and being honest about where this has not been possible:
Research partner or funder’s approach
Indicate that you have ensured your research partner or funder’s approach aligns with climate action.
Reducing emissions from travel
Outline the expected travel requirement of your research (including any recruitment, fieldwork, conferences or any other requirements). What measures have you taken to reduce emissions from this planned travel?
Reducing emissions from energy use
Outline where you believe the significant contributors to your energy use will be and explain the measures you’ve taken to implement efficiency measures through equipment usage, laboratory setup, data and sample storage, and any other related actions.
Reducing emissions from materials and equipment used and purchased
Outline any measures you have taken to share or use existing equipment through the research equipment sharing database. If your research has extensive use of materials involved, please focus your answer on this area to outline materials required and the measures you have implemented to keep this to a minimum, and include any areas where you have been able to optimise for a circular economy.
LEAF Sustainable Labs programme
Is your lab signed up to LEAF and if so, what level is it certified at? Outline any procedures or practices you have implemented through LEAF relevant to carbon emissions savings in this project (if not already covered in the questions above).