14th August 2024

Reducing laboratory carbon footprint in biotech and pharma?

My Green Lab – a non-profit organisation that is focused on improving the sustainability of scientific research – recently reported that the carbon footprint produced by the biotech and pharmaceutical industry (including laboratories) increased from 3.9 percent in 2021 to five percent in 2022.

But, more and more companies are committing to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, which aims to halve total carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to reducing Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources) and Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from the purchase and use of electricity, steam, heating and cooling), there is a growing focus on Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions that occur in the upstream and downstream activities of an organisation).

My Green Lab found that overall, Scope 3 emissions are 4.6 times greater than Scope 1 and 2 combined in the biotech and pharma sector. The impact of this is that pressure to reduce carbon use is being applied down the supply chain, impacting labs at every phase of development, scale-up and manufacturing.

According to CPHI’s 2023 annual survey, 93 percent of executives state that ‘visibility on supply chain partner’s sustainability record’ is either ‘extremely important’ or ‘important’.

There are a number of ways in which laboratories can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability – and help the organisations they are providing services to reduce their Scope 3 emissions – some to consider include:

Obtain My Green Lab certification: considered the gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices around the world, the program provides scientists and the teams that support laboratories with actionable ways to make meaningful change.
Switch to laboratory products that have the ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label: by emphasizing Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency (ACT) around manufacturing, energy and water use, packaging, and end-of-life, ACT makes it easy to choose more sustainable products.
Identify opportunities for energy efficiency in the laboratory: the Center for Energy Efficient Laboratories (CEEL) provides useful reports and advice.
Join the Sustainable European Laboratories Network: a network of local sustainability teams as well as independent ‘green labs’ networks, which aims to transform the way science is done so that it better responds to the environmental challenges of our era.
If your lab is part of an academic institution, consider joining the LEAF Programme, a standard set by University College London – and followed by 85 global institutions – to improve the sustainability and efficiency of laboratories.

There are many other networks, initiatives and accreditations aimed at helping labs become more sustainable. Tapping into these resources, as well as finding ways to make your lab more efficient, can help you to both reduce carbon emissions and save costs. Importantly, it will ensure your lab does not lose out in future when sustainability becomes a deciding factor in procurement.

Scimcon continues its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, having signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and providing a target whilst also gaining an award for sustainability from Ecovadis. As we continue to add value in the complex lab informatics field, we work closely with our clients to detail Scimcon’s Scope 3 assessments and action plans.