ISTA Labs Certified as Sustainable

Conducting basic research often involves high costs, particularly in terms of energy consumption. To address this issue, the University College of London (UCL) has launched the LEAF Certificate program—a framework for improving sustainability in laboratories. In 2024, this project kicked off at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).

A laboratory is full of advanced technology, including sterile working hoods, ultra-low temperature freezers, laser-equipped microscopes, and a plethora of other instruments. Using all this equipment to explore questions driven by curiosity entails significant costs. Labs require a lot of energy and resources. Compared to regular offices, it is estimated that they use 3 to 10 times more energy and are responsible for 2% of global plastic waste.

LEAF Certificate

To tackle this problem, the University College London (UCL) developed the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework, short “LEAF” that helps laboratories to improve sustainability and efficiency. By joining the LEAF program, scientists get access to comprehensive toolkits, online calculators that help measure financial and carbon impact, resources, as well as training.

Before making LEAF publically available, UCL tested the assessment for two years, from 2018 to 2020, with 235 labs from 23 different universities and research institutes taking part. The results were astonishing: lab groups saved an average of £3,700 (around €4,450) each, collectively saved £641,000 (around €770,740), and they reduced their emission by no less than 648 tons of CO₂.

Now in full swing, the participating labs can reach different levels—bronze, silver, or gold—based on the measures they implement.

Eleven ISTA groups LEAF-certified

In 2024, ISTA launched the LEAF project with eleven research groups participating from May until October, achieving bronze status. After this first step in the right direction, ISTA’s Sustainability Office is currently assessing the impact.

“The LEAF project not only reinforces ISTA’s commitment to sustainability but also actively involves the research community in adopting and discussing sustainable practices,“ says Sustainability Manager Jeroen Dobbelaere. “With eleven groups reaching bronze, we are again demonstrating ISTA’s dedication to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our research operations.” The eleven groups that achieved bronze certification are: the Barton group, the Cremer group, the Freunberger group, the Hetzer group, the Ibáñez group, the Jonas group, the Kicheva group, the Schanda group, the Siegert group, the Sixt group, and the Imaging & Optics Facility from the Scientific Service Units (SSUs).

Science and sustainability can go hand in hand

Julia Valentin, research technician in the Freunberger group, explains the lab’s motivation to join the LEAF program: “Science is driven not only by curiosity and the thirst for knowledge but also by the wish for a sustainable world and future. As scientists, we are responsible for taking care of our resources and protecting the environment, as well as for demanding and promoting sustainability.”

This approach is also reflected in the group’s research projects. Transition metal oxides, widely used in battery research and production, are both toxic and expensive. As an alternative for sustainable battery research, the Freunberger group explores main group elements such as oxygen, sulfur, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen to build potent energy storage systems.

Sandra Siegert’s research group studies the interplay between neurons and microglia, as well as how malfunctions within this interaction affect health and disease. For them joining the LEAF Certificate was an obvious choice. “ISTA’s SSUs have already effectively implemented several practices, such as keeping -80° freezers at -70° or meticulously separating hazardous waste,” Siegert notes. “Participating in the program, however, was a great way to reflect our current performance, identify areas for improvement, and most importantly to inspire new team members to engage with this topic.”

In 2025, ISTA will “LEAF” once again. “This year, we’re aiming to involve even more contributing labs, and also inspire computer-based labs to pilot the Green DiSC tool from the University of Cambridge,“ says Dobbelaere.

Are you interested in contributing to meaningful change and making an impact? Join the LEAF Program to advance sustainability in research, one step at a time. To learn more please contact the ISTA Sustainability Office.