In what we believe will prove to be a hugely significant event for the IGL community, on October19th, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) launched its Climate Action Strategy for 2024-2027. The strategy is built around three pillars: 1) Funding Excellent Research that will Shape a Sustainable Future; 2) Moving Knowledge and Talent through our Society and Economy; and 3) Conducting Research and Related Activities Sustainably.
SFI is the first national funding agency in the world to partner with My Green Lab in a pilot green lab certification programme. In this very exciting move, clear objectives and measures of success are laid out in the strategy document. An over-arching goal is that Ireland should “….become the first country to adopt a holistic, proven and widely supported approach to sustainable research at a national level.”
The belief that lab greening will be an impactful action is reflected in the speed at which SFI will run the pilot certification programme. Funded/Principal investigators (i.e., individuals who have a research group that is conducting research funded by SFI) must apply to the scheme before 1 pm on November 7th, if they wish their lab to be in the first tranche of 50 to pursue My Green Lab’s Certification Programme. Our network can help to accelerate this action by sharing this excellent news with friends and colleagues who are in SFI-funded labs.
Those who miss the first round will be able to apply in January to be in the second tranche. Watch this space!
https://www.sfi.ie/research-news/publications/SFI-Climate-Strategy.pdf
https://www.mygreenlab.org/green-lab-certification.html
