GreenLabs

Laboratory operations at ETH Zurich have a considerable environmental impact. In a pilot project, the potential for resource-saving laboratory operations is being explored and labs are being certified for their sustainability efforts.

Today: Around 40,000 tCO₂eq from laboratory operations

Laboratory research can sometimes lay important foundations for societal progress. At the same time, laboratory operations are estimated to generate about 2 percent of global plastic waste (external page Urbina et al 2015). An average laboratory also consumes 5-10 times more energy than a conventional office space (external page EPA 2008).

Results of the Scope 3 GHG balance 2019 with absolute values, uncertainty ± 10 %, data basis 2017. Source: White paper "ETH Zurich strives for net zero by 2030", September 2022.

ETH Zurich has been compiling comprehensive environmental statistics for about two decades. According to an internal inventory, the indirect greenhouse gas emissions for procured consumables of laboratory equipment, scientific apparatus, machines and tools amount to about 40,000 tCO₂eq, which corresponds to about one third of all indirect emissions (Scope 3).

"Green Labs" pilot project at ETH Zürich

On the way to net zero, even small changes in laboratory operations, for example in the area of procurement or usage routines, can make a big difference to ETH Zurich's greenhouse gas balance. Initiated by employees from the Department of Biology (D-BIOL), ETH Sustainability is launching a pilot project "Green Labs". Furthermore, we are participating in the external page GreenLabs Zurich initiative and are collaborating with other labs as part of the Swiss Green Labs network.

Assessing environmental impact of laboratories

In order to systematically establish improvements towards a more resource-friendly laboratory operation while also making the progress measurable, ETH Zurich uses the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF for short), which was developed by researchers at University College London and is now used by over 80 universities worldwide.

LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) is a tool for assessing your own laboratory practices. It contains measures that employees can take in the laboratory to save energy, water, plastic, and other resources.

Depending on how comprehensive a lab team's sustainability commitment is, certificate levels of bronze, silver and gold can be achieved. A calculator allows the determination of cost savings as well as the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions over time.

Join the "Green Labs" pilot project now

external page Registration: If you would like to participate, you must first register for the LEAF platform. Use your nethz identifier email address (). Registration is possible as of now.
external page Login: Once you are registered, you can log in.
Join a lab/create a new lab: Either create a request for a new lab (i.e., lab team) or join an existing lab. New requests will be handled by system administration, while new members in existing labs can be approved by already registered lab members.
Take Action: By clicking on "Manage Award Criteria" and/or "Manage Calculators", the various measures for more sustainable laboratory practices can now be viewed and edited.
Certification: Once all criteria for a certificate level are met, it can be submitted for review.
Improvement: Based on the findings from the certification, we are in the process of driving forward concrete measures to improve the sustainability of the laboratories at ETH. If you would like to get involved, please contact .

Dates for second certification round

Submissions open: until January 19th, 2025

Reviews: January 20-24th

Certification event: March 2025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

ETH Zurich has purchased an institutional license for LEAF in 2023. Participation is free of charge for ETH employees.

The effort is approximately 1 to 10 hours to get certified, but will depend in detail on what measures are implemented to improve the sustainability of each laboratory team.

No, participation in the LEAF program is open to all members of a lab team. Within a lab team, all members have the same editing rights and can divide tasks internally.

Please reach out to if you have any questions.

Entries are made along different categories such as waste, equipment or IT. Participating laboratories decide which certification level they are aiming for and enter the corresponding information in the system. The verification or certification is then carried out by the GreenLabs team.

Contact

Do you have a question about the pilot project or LEAF?
Then get in touch at: