Sustainability
We're committed to making sustainability and good environmental practice part of every decision we make.
Introduction
At the Crick, we want to improve human health and wellbeing - including through our impact on the world around us.
We are working to find new, reliable ways to be more sustainable. We want to reduce our negative impact on the environment and tackle the climate emergency.
This means changing how we travel, improving the sustainability of our supply chains, and minimising the waste we produce and the energy we use.
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions resulting from the gas and diesel we use at the Crick. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the electricity we use at the Crick. We're aiming to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, compared to our emissions in 2019-20. We have also set a target of achieving net zero carbon by 2040 or earlier.
Our progress in 2024/25
21% reduction in carbon emissions from 2019/20
21% reduction in operational and clinical waste.
20% reduction in water consumption.
76% of our non-clinical waste is recycled.
98% of our staff travel to work using sustainable travel options.
Getting people involved
People across the Crick work with our dedicated Sustainability team to embed sustainable practices in our labs, offices, catering and beyond.
Our 56 sustainability reps work to implement our sustainability strategy and embed good environmental practices in their own teams.
We are also one of the 85 organisations following UCL's LEAF (Lab Efficiency Assessment Framework) programme to improve the sustainability and efficiency of labs. Seventeen teams have achieved LEAF awards recognising their work so far.
Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice
We're signatories to a national concordat laying out a plan for improving the sustainability of research.
Sustainability strategy
In June 2023, we published our sustainability strategy, laying out the Crickâs plan to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2023, with the aim to achieve net zero carbon by 2040 or earlier.
Our strategy focuses on six areas, with goals for 2023-2028:
 For Web_00092.jpg?h=899629e7&itok=fWB73b4c)
