Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF)

LEAF Awards Ceremony and Coffee Morning 2023/2024

On Tuesday 18 June, this year’s LEAF Awards took place in The Great Hall, highlighting the efforts undertaken by 68 labs across Queen’s to achieve LEAF Accreditation. The Awards were opened by Rachel Vaughan, Project Support Officer (Sustainability), and certificates were presented by Professor Michael Alcorn, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Projects and Sustainability.

LEAF: WHAT IT IS?

LEAF is a sustainable lab certification programme that was launched at Queen's University in September 2021 as a means of exploring methods to help labs across campus become more aware of their sustainability.

LEAF ORIGINS

Created by University College London (UCL), LEAF is a set of criteria that allows labs to determine if they are following sustainable practices in their teaching and research. This includes reducing waste, sharing materials with other labs, decreasing energy usage etc.

LEAF: How It Works

HOW IT WORKS

LEAF labs within Queen’s are provided a list of environmental activities on the LEAF platform that facilitate and drive improvements in laboratory efficiency. Each activity is a clear, easy to implement action. LEAF users complete these actions in order to improve their lab efficiency. Following a peer audit of each lab, the labs will then be awarded a rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold depending on the level of sustainability reached.

LEAF Criteria have been specifically selected to cover not just environmental aspects (e.g. waste management, procurement, equipment efficiency, chemical management etc.) but also to target business travel and research quality, addressing the international issues surrounding the 'reproducibility crisis'. LEAF uses a set of calculators to enable users to quantify 'actual' environmental and financial savings.

How To Get Started

How to Get Started

Register via the LEAF online system.
Join an existing team – LEAF is managed locally in the lab, so you can simply join in.
Start a new team – email us to request your LEAF User Guide.
Decide which award level to aim for (Bronze, Silver or Gold) and work towards meeting the criteria.
The LEAF programme runs yearly, the next submission deadline will be confirmed.
- Peer-to-peer audits will take place during a two-week period in April/May, in person. Please contact sustainability@qub.ac.uk if the audit period doesn't suit your schedules.
- Certificates will then be published in June.
- The certification needs to be done annually to maintain the award level (or improve!)

LEAF Benefits

BENEFITS OF GAINING A GREEN LAB CERTIFICATION

There are numerous benefits from labs being involved in the LEAF Programme. These include:

Reduced utility costs and environmental footprint
Ensuring health and safety compliance within labs
Increased research efficiency and funding opportunities for labs
Provides recognition for individuals labs and the University on a national stage
Enables a bottom-up sustainability movement
Helps integrate different labs and departments from around the University
Practice-based learning experiences that improve professional skills and employability
Strengthening of relationships between Estates, lab users and other stakeholders
The chance to align your research with the University Net Zero Plan
Inter-lab and inter-departmental benchmarking
Creating a better understanding within our community of our science buildings and operations
Labs being able to align with our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Research and Lab Networks

LEAF and Sustainable Research

As part of Strategy 2030, the university has committed to embracing the Sustainable Development Goals across all our activities and to transition to a carbon neutral society. To achieve this, Queen’s University are addressing emissions in a range of areas - energy, procurement, travel, water and waste.

As members of the LEAF Programme, you will have the opportunity to align your research and teaching with the university's sustainability goals.

To support grant applications for energy efficiency equipment and funding, we have provided a Support Document to allow labs to explain how their research is helping the University's overall aim of reaching Net Zero.

Irish Green Labs Network Membership

Launched on Earth Day (22^nd April), the Irish Green Labs (IGL) Network is a new resource for laboratory professionals on the island of Ireland to engage in conversations on sustainability and innovative green lab solutions. Queen’s University Belfast is now a member of the Irish Green Lab Network. This membership, alongside the sustainable lab certification programme LEAF, will allow labs in Queen’s to target the negative impacts that lab activities can have on the environment. The specific target climate actions included in the Irish Green Labs membership include Energy, Plastic, Chemistry and Water. This membership will help the labs at Queen's to embed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in their research and teaching, overall aiding Queen's in becoming a more sustainable university.

Have a look at their new website here.

Assessment Criteria