You must consider the environmental impacts of conducting your research as it is an important element of research integrity and ethics. The University of Bath has committed to reducing the environmental impact associated with undertaking research through our commitment to the Concordat for Environmental Sustainability of Research & Innovation Practice and in our Climate Action Framework Principles.
This approach is reflected by funding bodies and partners who increasingly demand that research proposals consider and reduce their negative impacts 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 environmental and climate impact to identify any conflicts of interest that could cause or suggest influence, and to ensure they’re also committed to reducing negative impacts 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, environmental destruction or the area of study for your research
- what steps the research partner has taken to reduce their impacts and 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 environmental impacts from research
As a university, the impact of our operations has a range of environmental impacts. In considering climate change specifically, the 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 the negative impacts associated with conducting 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: for example, avoid working with partners or funders who are seeking to justify actions that cause climate change and environmental damage
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 of the ethics approval process. We would suggest including the following headings, noting how you have factored in actions to reduce environmental impacts 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 the University's commitments related to sustainability and climate action.
Reducing impacts 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 impacts 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 impacts from materials and equipment used and purchased
Outline any measures you have taken to share or use existing equipment, such as 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.
Sustainability certification
Is your lab signed up to LEAF and if so, what level is it certified at? If you work in a dry or computational lab, you may be working through the Green Impact programme instead of LEAF. Outline any procedures or practices you have implemented through LEAF or Green Impact in this project (if not already covered in the questions above).