While scientific research plays a crucial role in developing solutions to the imminent threat of climate change, research labs across the world are significantly exacerbating the problem through extreme energy usage and excessive plastic consumption. To explore ways scientists can minimize the environmental impacts of their research, MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Melina Kerou, a Senior Scientist at the University of Vienna, and Dr. Philipp Weber, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Vienna and Sustainability Project Officer at the European Molecular Biology Organization. Drs. Kerou and Weber are two of the co-founders of Green Labs Austria (GLA), a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of research settings by promoting sustainable practices, providing resources, and raising awareness of key issues hindering progress in combating climate change. In our conversation, Drs. Kerou and Weber shared the inspiration behind founding GLA, the necessity for sustainability to become an integral part of all research practices, and the benefits of creating networks and collaborations to promote sustainable methods in laboratories across Europe and beyond.
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