How to support the concordat
Researchers, innovators, employers, and leaders have different roles to play in embedding environmental sustainability into research and innovation practice across the sector – in support of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice.
Leadership and system change
- show leadership by designing, carrying out and disseminating research and innovation in an environmentally sustainable manner that reflects the policies, commitments, and expectations of your host organisation and funder(s)
- take ownership of decisions within your scope and responsibility, to ensure environmental sustainability impacts are included in plans for carrying out research and innovation activities
- clearly identify and communicate resourcing requirements to deliver and seek opportunities for environmental sustainability training and development
- actively encourage colleagues to design, carry out and disseminate research and innovation in an environmentally sustainable manner, encouraging sector-wide change
- develop, implement, and share ideas, good practice and learning experiences with the research and innovation community
Sustainable infrastructure
- design and carry out research and innovation endeavours in a way that optimises the sustainable operation or efficiency of building and equipment infrastructure
- follow guidance on how to efficiently use the infrastructure provided and guidance related to accredited sustainability programmes being followed, to aid research and innovation activities to be practiced in an environmentally sustainable way
- explore opportunities for leasing/sharing infrastructure and existing equipment from within the organisation or from other parts of the research and innovation sector prior to making the case for new investments
Sustainable procurement
- increasingly ensure design of research and innovation activities seeks to reduce the environmental impact of the entire supply chain
- increasingly over time, include environmental sustainability impacts and mitigations in procurement decision making processes (including life cycle analysis and costing where information is available)
- seek to prioritise purchasing environmentally sustainable options for research and innovation activities and apply the principles of a circular economy when making procurement decisions (while ensuring procurement processes meet legal requirements), recognising that greater sustainability may come at a higher upfront financial cost
Emissions from business and academic travel
- adopt a climate conscious approach to travel; increase and encourage virtual or hybrid opportunities to meet, collaborate, disseminate, and adapt to carry out research and innovation activities
- prioritise enabling capacity building with international partners; setting up collaborations and leveraging existing local skills or if necessary, upskill researchers and innovators who are already located in the field where global fieldwork or research is required, in place of travelling out from the UK
- for travel which is essential for research and innovation activities, actively seek to optimise journeys to require less frequent travel and prioritise low carbon modes of travel (while also ensuring inclusivity and the needs of those travelling)
Collaborations and partnerships
- actively seek interdisciplinary and cross sector partners to address the environmental sustainability challenges of how research and innovation is practiced
- play your part in sharing and encouraging sharing of good practice and learning about environmentally sustainable practices from the partnerships and collaborations your are involved with
- play a key role in advocating for greater inclusion of environmentally sustainable practices in R&I activities across the UK and wider world through the existing and new collaborations and partnerships they are part of