Sustainability

Scientific innovation and environmental responsibility go hand in hand, so sustainability is a priority at ICN2. As a research centre, we know laboratories are resource-intensive spaces, so it’s essential to minimise our impact on the world’s natural resources.  We are committed to the principle ‘do no significant harm’ (DNSH), with the mission to not support or carry out economic activities that significantly harm any environmental objective.

As part of the SO3 project (from the ERA2 Nanofabrication and Nanomaterials WG) and in alignment with our current strategic plan, we have undergone a certification process to review and improve wet laboratory practices from an integrative sustainability point of view. My Green Lab certification, the globally recognised standard for laboratory sustainability, advised us in sustainbility. This programme has allowed us to manage lab resources—such as water, energy, consumables, and waste—more sustainably by taking into account the entire research activity supply chain, including transportation.

This certification is part of a broader Sustainability Plan, a strategic initiative addressing environmental issues relevant to the ICN2 Centre and its community, to minimise its environmental impact. The Plan also aims to set numerical targets in key areas such as energy, water, waste, engagement, travel and procurement, while also ensuring transparency in our actions to avoid greenwashing, in compliance with Directive (EU) 2024/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024.

We aim to reduce our environmental impact by:

  • Improving energy efficiency and decarbonizing energy sources: This includes transitioning building and laboratory lighting to LEDs, installing biosensors in bathrooms, and expanding the number of solar panels currently in place.
  • Reducing water consumption: We have lowered water tap pressures and enhanced laboratory water facilities to preserve water.
  • Improving hazardous and non-hazardous waste management: Initiatives include offering training and communication campaigns, as well as collaborating with UAB Campus facilities to implement a circular economy approach, giving a second life to non-polluted lab items such as ice packs.
  • Strengthening ICN2 community engagement in sustainability: ICN2 actively participates in national and international sustainable networks, such as BIST’s Sustainability Working Group which co-created a Sustainability Handbook to guide the scientific community in reducing environmental impact, as well as SustainableNano and the International Network4Sustainable Nanotechnology.
  • Developing a sustainable travel policy: Aware that most of our carbon footprint is linked to transportation, ICN2 is implementing measures to make research-related travel more sustainable.