Setting a trajectory for CO₂emission reduction in academic research: a case study of a French biophysics laboratory

Abstract

Climate change is a scientifically proven phenomenon caused by anthropic activities, which requires urgent and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the increasing vocalization of scientists advocating for political action, the issue of the environmental impact of academic research has been neglected for some time. Now, field-dependent initiatives have emerged, such as the non-profit organization My Green Lab, which delivers green certifications to biology and chemistry labs, and institute-dependent programs, such as the Max Planck Sustainability Network. In France, an independent collective was founded in 2019 to address the environmental footprint of academic research following the COP 15 Paris Agreement: Labos 1Point5. Building on their resources and methodology, we have quantified the overall carbon footprint of our biophysics laboratory, considering energy consumption, purchases and travel, for the year 2021. We investigate how this footprint would decrease by 2030 following systemic changes (change in the energy mix, improvements from suppliers), and we propose scenarios based on additional voluntary initiatives to reach a final reduction of -50% compared to the 2021 baseline, following IPCC targets. We have now formed a group of more than 20 colleagues to achieve this goal, emphasizing the importance of collective action. Finally, we provide advice based on our own experience to assist others in addressing the environmental impact of academic research in their respective laboratories.