Five laboratories lead the way in new sustainability project
A pilot project is about to launch to trial LEAF certification in laboratories at Health. The aim is to reduce the climate footprint and promote a more sustainable laboratory culture.
How can a research laboratory become more sustainable without compromising on quality?
This question will now be tested at Health, where five laboratories are participating in a pilot project using the international LEAF certification (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework).
The goal is to reduce the climate footprint, change everyday working habits, and send a clear message to funders, students, and collaborators alike that sustainability is an integral part of future research.
Since spring, a steering group has been working to adapt LEAF to everyday life at Health. The criteria are now in place, and the pilot project is ready to launch.
“We're right on the verge of getting started. We've held meetings with the participating laboratories, and the official onboarding is now beginning,” says Professor Thomas Corydon, who leads the steering group.
About LEAF
The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) was developed by University College London (UCL) and helps laboratories reduce their climate impact without compromising research or education.
LEAF certification is available at three levels: bronze, silver, and gold. To become certified, labs must meet criteria in areas including waste management, energy use, water conservation, procurement, social activities, and research quality.
Examples of bronze-level criteria (the entry level):
- Each lab appoints a LEAF coordinator.
- The lab (or relevant group) has held or planned a social activity during the year - this could be a Christmas lunch, cake club, Friday drinks, or similar.
- Clear waste sorting procedures are in place, including separate handling of plastics and chemicals.
- Laboratory supplies are purchased collectively where possible, to minimise transport and packaging.
- The group regularly discusses sustainability in lab meetings.
A UK pilot project involving 235 laboratories found that LEAF not only reduced climate impact but also saved labs an average of around DKK 32,000 per year.
You can read more about LEAF in this article from Inside Health.
A joint effort
In addition to Thomas Corydon, the steering group includes advisor Caroline Søndergaard Bendixen from The Faculty Secretariat, administrative consultant Liv Felter Jensen, and bioanalysis instructor Inger Merete S. Paulsen, both from the Department of Biomedicine.
The group is tasked with developing the local framework and ensuring a link to faculty management.
“It’s been important to bring together different skill sets in the steering group. We need both hands-on lab experience, organisational insight, and strategic alignment with the faculty,” explains Thomas Corydon.
Five laboratories, one from each department at Health, have been selected for the pilot. Although several others expressed interest, the number is limited to ensure close management of the process.
How the pilot will run
The pilot will run throughout autumn 2025. Initially, the selected labs will go through a joint introduction. They will then work with the criteria locally, before being assessed by staff from the other four pilot laboratories, with the goal of achieving certification.
LEAF offers bronze, silver, or gold certification. To progress to a higher level, labs must meet criteria in areas such as waste management, energy consumption, water conservation, procurement, and research quality.
“We’ve chosen a model where labs assess one another. This creates ownership and supports the idea that LEAF is a grassroot, collective effort. Our ambition is for all five labs to achieve bronze certification during the pilot phase, although of course that will require some effort,” says Inger Merete S. Paulsen.
If a lab does not meet all the criteria at first, staff will have the opportunity to improve and be reassessed.
More than just a certification
Although the LEAF scheme is based on checklists and specific criteria, the steering group sees the project as much more than ticking boxes.
“It’s very much about promoting a change in mindset - always thinking about how to work more sustainably, whether that relates to energy, plastic, water, or social interaction within the department,” says Liv Felter Jensen.
The steering group also sees LEAF as a tool that can strengthen research both internally and externally:
“Many funders now prioritise sustainability in their grant decisions, and students increasingly seek out educational institutions and workplaces that take climate responsibility seriously. LEAF is a concrete way of working with sustainability in the lab and could send a strong signal in both contexts,” adds Thomas Corydon.
The five pilot laboratories
The following laboratories and key personnel are taking part in Health’s first LEAF pilot project:
- Department of Biomedicine – Ocular Gene Therapy, Thomas Corydon
- Department of Forensic Medicine – Forensic Chemistry Department, Jørgen Bo Hasselstrøm
- Department of Public Health – The Climate Chambers, Torben Sigsgaard
- Department of Dentistry and Oral Health – Research Lab, Anette Aakjær Thomsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine – Protein Lab (TNU), Gülendam Sezer
Several other laboratories have expressed interest in participating, but in this first phase, the number is limited to one per department.
What are the next steps?
The pilot will culminate in September, when all five laboratories will be evaluated. The experiences will then be compiled into a report for the Dean’s Office, which will decide how and whether to expand LEAF across the faculty.
“Our aim is to provide a well-informed proposal for how LEAF can become a permanent part of lab work at Health - and perhaps eventually across the whole university. We know it’s possible, as LEAF is already embedded in the daily routine of all labs at the University of Copenhagen,” says Thomas Corydon.
For the steering group, the pilot is about both tangible outcomes and initiating a cultural shift:
“If we can demonstrate that sustainability can be integrated into everyday lab work while maintaining the same level of quality and academic rigour, then we’ll have come a long way,” he says.
Contact
Professor Thomas Corydon
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Phone: +45 2899 2179
Email: corydon@biomed.au.dk
Bioanalysis instructor Inger Merete S. Paulsen
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Phone: +45 87 16 76 67
Email: imsp@biomed.au.dk