Study Finds Rapid Progress in Biotech & Pharma Committing to UN Race to Zero through My Green Lab Certification

Released at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), the study shows that 46% of the sector by revenue has now committed to the Race to Zero campaign, up from 31% last year.

As a comprehensive profile of the carbon impact of the biotech & pharma industry, the newly released report leverages data from 231 publicly-listed companies and 151 privately-held companies and compares that profile to other industry sectors.

The industry's advancement towards the 2030 Breakthrough Outcome, a key measure of progress towards a zero carbon future, has also been swift—with over 53% of companies in the campaign starting a My Green Lab Certification, 23% at a global scale. However, only 9% of biotech and pharma companies have carbon reduction targets aligned with a 1.5°C warming scenario, the emission target estimated by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

This report is an update to our 2021 report, which quantified Scope 1 and 2 as well as Scope 3 emissions across the industry’s entire value chain. The updated report tracks the industry’s progress since 2015 and evaluates alignment with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement.

A Global Movement Defining Sustainability in Laboratory Cold Storage

Through a feature article published in Lab Manager, winners of the 2022 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge reflect back and share their experiences about the competition.

"It's now a pleasure to go to the -80 degree freezer whereas it was a nightmare before, and it was so time-consuming when you're in a hurry,” says Deirdre Quinn at the Microbiology Lab at St. Vincent's Hospital Dublin, a Freezer Challenge participant.

Deirdre reports a massive improvement with organized samples and inventories in day-to-day lab work. The Freezer Challenge facilitated a review of sample storage policies as well. "Labs have been saving money, the research administrator on call gets less calls at 2 AM for failing freezers..." says Chuck Blanchette (Research Operations Capital Equipment Manager) at Boston Children's Hospital.

Read more heartwarming participant stories from the 2022 competition here.

Be sure to sign up for the 2023 Freezer Challenge today! By signing up, you will be notified as soon as the competition launches.

New ACT Labels Adopted by Thermo Fisher

Our congratulations to Thermo Fisher Scientific for continuing to expand their ACT product portfolio and solidifying their commitment to a sustainable lab supply chain.

The Thermo Scientific iCAP PRO Series ICP-OES is a sustainable product because of significant improvements in packaging and dematerialization. The instrument is designed and manufactured at a zero-waste site that uses energy from renewable sources. This project included 16 products and 48 labels.

The Thermo Fisher TRACE 1600/1610 Gas Chromatograph products received the ACT labels for 4 of their GC products and acquired 12 labels. The TRACE 1600 Series Gas Chromatograph product line streamlines daily operations to meet analytical demands– simplifying operations, control, and adoption.

Find Us at the Cell Bio Conference

Be sure to visit Booth #1401 to meet us, test your sustainability knowledge through some trivia, and grab exclusive My Green Lab merch!

We are a proud exhibitor at the 2022 Cell Bio conference taking place on December 3-7, 2022, in Washington, DC. Visit our booth and meet our Sustainability Programs Manager, Christina Greever, and Market Development Representative, Cristalle Ruiz!

Cell Bio 2022, the joint meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), will showcase a diverse global community of the brightest minds in cell biology in person,

At our booth, Cristalle and Christina will talk about My Green Lab's programs and campaigns. Collect free My Green Lab-branded T-shirts if you win our lab sustainability trivia.

#HowToGreenLab

We share valuable tips and hacks to help you green your lab through our 'How to Green Lab' monthly series!

Your lab undoubtedly receives a lot of deliveries, which can include an excessive amount of ice packs within the packaging. A great way to repurpose these ice packs is to connect with local sports teams or university gyms that can reuse ice packs for sports injuries.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to receive a #HowToGreenLab tip every month.

New Podcast Episode Alert

Tune in to My Green Lab's 'Out of the Box Stories' podcast, the seventh episode is out now!

Hosted by My Green Lab founder Allison Paradise, Out of the Box Stories is the podcast that gets to the heart and soul of the Green Labs movement. Through this podcast, we explore the stories that motivate and inspire people to break the mold every day.​

The seventh episode, Fearless, is out now—featuring Steve Miller, the Founder and Executive Director of The Lab Project.

In this episode, Steve shares his story about leaving his successful career at Eversource utility company during the pandemic to start a non-profit to address the inequity he saw in labs' access to sustainability solutions in the Boston/Cambridge area.

Meet IlaSri Bharati Summitt, My Green Lab's Sustainability Program Manager

IlaSri joins team My Green Lab with a true passion for sustainability and a 15+ year career working in laboratories. 

As a Sustainability Program Manager, Ila primarily supports labs worldwide through the My Green Lab Certification program and shares best sustainability practices. Ila enjoys collaborating on new ways to create a change in mindset to challenge the status quo and improve conditions around the planet.

Before My Green Lab, Ila worked with Novartis’ global Environmental Sustainability network to execute sustainable practices at her worksite. An avid traveler with a love for art and science, IlaSri grew up in Toronto and North Carolina and currently resides in San Diego. 

Meet My Green Lab at the Inaugural ESG Life Sciences Summit

My Green Lab is delighted to partner with the inaugural ESG: Life Sciences Summit this December (5-7), where the industry’s leading environmental, social & governance professionals will be convening in Boston.

Be sure to find our CEO James Connelly and Sr. Director of Investments & Partnerships, Ryan Arnold, at this exclusive event!

My Green Lab Summit 2022 Recordings Available Free

A day-long event spanning 12 engaging and inspiring sessions, the My Green Lab summit held in May 2022 saw participation from individuals across various organizational sectors.

Register now to access the recordings and hear from sustainability champions and key leaders from multiple organizations across the globe on a variety of green lab topics, including:

• ​Starting a green labs program
• Maintaining engagement
• Techniques to reduce waste, energy, water, chemical use
• Collaboration towards lab sustainability
• Breakthrough technologies changing the future of sustainable science.

The My Green Lab Summit 2022 concluded with record-breaking participation from 19 countries, featuring highly proficient speakers worldwide.

Read About Us

How to Effectively Advocate for ‘Greener’ Lab Equipment and Supplies

As a lab manager making purchasing decisions, you may receive push-back from upper management to find ways to reduce spending costs and find less expensive alternatives. But how can you balance upfront costs with the organization's sustainability efforts? Read this Lab Manager article featuring two leading sustainability experts responding with their tips and advice—James Connelly, My Green Lab CEO, and Star Scott, the Green Labs Program Coordinator at the University of Georgia.

Guest Interview With James Connelly, Chief Executive Officer of My Green Lab

LUP Global—a network of companies and partners with a mission to create closed-loop supply chains focused on circular economies around the world—recently published an interview with My Green Lab CEO James Connelly. The article was inspired by the participation of the Hill Laboratory at La Trobe University in the My Green Lab Certification (the first Australian laboratory to receive Green Certification from My Green Lab). In this article, James talks about his sustainability journey, My Green Lab's evolution, and our flagship programs.

What should our future look like?

The massive economic impact of the scientific industry is, unfortunately, matched by an outsized environmental impact, which will also continue to grow if the industry does not rapidly change. FEBS Network's recent article explores options to make your laboratory more sustainable, including My Green Lab's programs that offer tried-and-true methods to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of scientific research without disrupting the important work underway.

Our gratitude to all the My Green Lab Sponsors