LEAF readiness to meet funder requirements
In response to growing concerns about the environmental footprint of laboratory-based research, Wellcome and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) have announced a key change in funding eligibility
Research groups with wet labs receiving funding from these bodies will be required to obtain Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) certification as a prerequisite for new funding and or to maintain pre-existing funding streams later this year.
LEAF has been available on a voluntary basis at the University of Oxford for several years, yielding positive results. Evidence from the programme demonstrates its effectiveness and suitability, as well as its potential to save on average £3,700 and approximately 3 tonnes of CO2e per lab per year (based on data from the UCL LEAF programme, 2023).
The Environmental Sustainability team is making arrangements to support a substantial scaling of the programme during 2025 in response to the eligibility changes by funders.
What this means for our researchers
All research groups receiving funding from Wellcome and/or CRUK must obtain LEAF certification this year (Bronze for Wellcome funding and Silver for CRUK). Certification will be pursued at the building level but will require actions from specific research groups.
We believe many of the relevant Bronze criteria are already implemented in most labs as part of good practice, and this will need to be assessed for each lab as part of the LEAF certification process. Although the new compliance requirements represent a significant adjustment, this is a great opportunity for laboratories to adopt practices that will preserve resources and funds and address the environmental impacts of lab work.
The University’s Environmental Sustainability (ES) Team is working closely with funders to establish clear guidelines and processes to support this transition.
What to expect moving forward
The below flow chart presents the steps we expect during the first year of implementation. The red arrow marks the stage we are at.
In the coming month, the ES team will update the Sustainable Labs web pages to reflect the changes.
We invite all relevant partners to work with us to ensure a smooth and positive process.
What's next
We recommend that all users review the chart to guide them in the next steps.
If you are already a LEAF-certified lab, and your accreditation is less than 3 years old, you do not have to submit this year unless you are funded by CRUK and, therefore, need to get Silver certification for the first time.
If you require LEAF certification and are new to it, we recommend reading through the LEAF checklist to assess and prepare for the work you will be expected to do in the coming months.
Please be aware that the LEAF platform is expected to change in the coming weeks, so please delay creating new labs or updating information on the platform until we have resolved this.
Please see our sustainable labs area for more resources and information.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at sustainability@admin.ox.ac.uk. We appreciate your cooperation and patience throughout the implementation of this important initiative.
