The Critical Role of Funders in Decarbonising Research

Funders have a unique opportunity to accelerate the decarbonisation of the academic, higher-education and research sectors.

The carbon footprint of academic work is significant. Greenhouse gasses are emitted from the energy used to power labs, data centres and buildings, from the fuel burned from commuting and air travel, and all the “embodied carbon” in the equipment and consumables we purchase.

Funders have a unique opportunity to accelerate the decarbonisation of the academic, higher-education and research sectors.

The climate is heating up because of our collective, global greenhouse-gas emissions. All sectors need to rapidly cut emissions if we are to avert the worst effects of climate change.

In our comment “The Critical Role of Funders in Decarbonising Research”, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, we estimated the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions from the air travel required to convene two expert panels to evaluate the European Research Council (ERC) Starter Grants and the European and Developing Country Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) research grants in 2019.

We estimated the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions from the air travel required to convene two expert panels to evaluate the ERC Starter Grants and the European and EDCTP research grants in 2019

The distances flown by the two panels were the equivalent of 15 one-way trips to the moon and the total estimated emissions were 1,664 metric tonnes of CO₂e.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, funders continued in their mission of investing in quality research. To avoid the risk of spreading infection, and due to travel restrictions, funders successfully conducted evaluations of funding proposals with independent experts online. Online meetings have an estimated 1,000- to 3,000-fold smaller carbon footprint compared to in-person meetings where participants travel by plane. We advocate maintaining these low-carbon ways of working beyond the COVID-19 pandemic to avert significant amounts of carbon emissions.

Online meetings have an estimated 1,000- to 3,000-fold smaller carbon footprint compared to in-person meetings where participants travel by plane

Funders’ reach and influence go far beyond their own operations. They influence expectations and standards in the working culture of the academic sector.

By committing to reduce emissions from their own operations and valuing the efforts of grantee institutions to decarbonise, funders could accelerate the decarbonisation of academia, research and higher education. Such efforts would need to take into account the different settings of institutions in high-, and low- and middle-income countries, with funders requiring, incentivising and supporting grantee institutions in the transition to low-carbon operations in accordance with these contexts.

The beginning of a new year is a time full of hope. We hope that in 2022 funders act on the opportunity to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable working culture across the academic sector.