Climate change and global warming have caused many to question their impact on the environment. Research staff and students at UCD recognise that their work can have a profoundly detrimental effect, for example, globally, laboratories use 10x more energy than equivalent office spaces, 4x more water  and produce 5.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Our research and teaching laboratories are places of creativity and innovation, and as a group we are committed to recognising the different challenges that different labs across the campus face and creating a resource hub that lab users will find useful, with the goal of embedding sustainability practices into our everyday work. 

In scientific research, sustainable practices are also increasingly becoming a requirement on many grant funding applications. In the latest QS World University Rankings for Sustainability, UCD was ranked 49th in the world and No. 1 in Ireland for sustainability (read UCD's Sustainability commitment here).

In response to these concerns, we launched the Sustainable Research Initiative (SRI) which has a diverse membership, including academic, research, technical and administrative staff. This is a “ground-up” initiative, driven by those with a strong interest in bringing greater sustainability to their work.

Email greenlabs@ucd.ie for more information about participating in the Sustainable Research Initiative.