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Today's Lesson: Writing Reports On Sustainability
Tips and Tricks on how to go about it efficiently
Number Of The Day
Based on an international search for sustainability programs conducted by RAND, there are approximately 19 initiatives that assist researchers in becoming more sustainable. They also identified about 25 tools designed to make laboratories greener.
#19
Sustainability Reporting For Grants
How can you go most efficiently about the reports funding bodies require?
At first, approach these reports similar to writing grants. If you figured out what counts in grants, you will have a great foundation for writing these reports.
1. Understand the Scope
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Just like grant writing, remember that not everyone will have the interest or time to read this section thoroughly. Focus on writing something convincing rather than worrying about every detail.
This approach avoids confusion and creates a positive impression. If the reader is confused, they will feel frustrated and search for missing categories. Just as you look for positive aspects about people you like, readers will appreciate clarity and organization.
4. A Checklist For You
Here is a longer list of actions you can use for inspiration or to ensure you haven't forgotten anything:
5. Writing Tips
As you might have guessed, the dots have the same color – however, the contrast makes us think differently. And even crazier example!
Your readers are likely new to sustainability, so keeping it general is sufficient for now.
Keep it simple, start with the general topic, and then provide specific examples - aka using a deductive method.
Use contrasts to show the difference between past practices and current improvements. This technique helps clarify your points, especially when discussing specific methods.
And, do not forget to use numbers whenever possible.
An example: In terms of equipment, we focus on A) Freezers, B) HPLCs, C) Fume Hoods.
A) Freezers: Our laboratory has 5 ultralow freezers. Previously, there were no sustainability guidelines, so we created a strategy to run them as sustainably as possible. We set the temperatures to -70°C, established an annual defrosting schedule, cleaned coils, removed dust from compressors, and implemented software for sample organization. This reduced our energy consumption by about 40% year on year.
B) HPLCs: ...
Applying The Knowledge
For now, be general and easy to understand, highlighting single actions that are impressive. As sustainability becomes more crucial, your certification will cover the details.
To save time later on, consider creating online accessible Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This not only creates lasting and generalized impact in your laboratory but also provides a reference for your reports.
In the end, this is a great exercise to get you trained in sustainability and writing about it. Understand how important sustainability is for you (internally), how to describe what you are doing (externally), and what you can improve or plan to do (both internally and externally).
Upcoming Lesson:
A Look Into The Future – How Sustainability Will Develop
Asking You
How long does it take for a freezer to reach -60°C after it fails (and is set to -70 initially)?
Personal Note From Patrick, The Editor Hi Reader, hope you are doing well! In a previous lesson, we looked at how to account for the energy consumption of your lab equipment. However, there are three reasons why we’re interested in assessing the exact energy use of a specific piece of equipment. Therefore, today we’ll cover what these are and how you can successfully measure them without becoming too technical: Today's Lesson: Measuring Energy Consumption How to quantify electricity use...
Personal Note From Patrick, The Editor Hi Reader, ever since COVID, we have all heard about PCRs. The Polymerase Chain Reaction, which elongates DNA or RNA chains. As it is a standard method used in almost every Life-Science laboratory, it is a topic we have to cover. Here is everything from the environmental impacts of PCR to how we can make it more sustainable: Today's Lesson: Making PCRs More Sustainable How we can save resources, time, and money. Number Of The Day A single PCR run...
Personal Note From Patrick, The Editor Hello Reader, how many tips do you think the average scientist uses each week? As outlined in a previous publication, it can be quite simple to reduce up to 65% of the plastic waste generated in experiments—even under sterile conditions. Today, we will dive deeper into how we can reduce plastic waste in a rather unique way. In other words, it’s not just about the tips themselves, but also about what surrounds them. Today's Lesson: Pipette Tip Refill...
