My Green Lab Certification: A Commitment to Sustainable Science
Recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign as a key measure of progress towards a zero-carbon future, My Green Lab Certification is considered the gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices around the world.
The program provides scientists and the teams that support laboratories with actionable ways to make meaningful change. To date, My Green Lab has supported over 2,500 labs in a range of sectors.
My Green Lab Certification reduces costs and preserves resources while ensuring a safe, healthy, and fun environment in support of your science.
Ready to take the next step? Have more questions? Click on the button below or navigate to our FAQs in the next section
The program provides scientists and the teams that support laboratories with actionable ways to make meaningful change. To date, My Green Lab has supported over 2,500 labs in a range of sectors.
My Green Lab Certification reduces costs and preserves resources while ensuring a safe, healthy, and fun environment in support of your science.
Ready to take the next step? Have more questions? Click on the button below or navigate to our FAQs in the next section
Why Certify Your Lab?
A Proven Process Supported
By A Global Community
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Zero carbon ambitions are rapidly being adopted in the sustainability goals of the world's most influential corporations and institutions.
My Green Lab Certification is a proven, scalable program that helps organizations achieve their sustainability goals. We do so by engaging scientists in a powerful, proven process supported by a global community of Green Lab Leaders. |
Proven & tested
My Green Lab Certification offers tried-and-true methods rooted in science to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of laboratories without disrupting the critical work underway.
International REcognition
My Green Lab Certification is recognized by the UN Race to Zero Campaign and chosen as a crucial player to help pharmaceutical and medical tech companies to achieve the goal of a zero-carbon world by 2050!
Powerful Community
Through participation in the My Green Lab Certification program, labs and institutions can join a rapidly-growing global community of leaders aiming to transform the scientific industry and build a global culture of sustainability in science.
Program Sponsors:
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“Agilent has consistently committed to protecting the environment, treating people with respect, and operating with the highest levels of integrity. We understand the importance of education and its power to change attitudes and business practices that will accelerate sustainable initiatives and meaningful results for cleaner and greener labs. As My Green Lab’s first Transformative Sponsor, Agilent is proud to sponsor this vital Lab Certification Program and promote knowledge that will certainly shape the industry for many years to come.”
—Darlene Solomon, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Agilent
"AstraZeneca is a proud early supporter of the Race to Zero Campaign and has ambitious targets to be net-zero across our global operations by 2025, as well as carbon-negative across our entire value chain by 2030. So far, we've adopted My Green Lab Certification in over 65 labs around the world. This is a key way in which we are accelerating carbon reduction in healthcare R&D and instilling a culture of sustainability at AstraZeneca."
—Penny James, Chief Operating Officer, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca
The Certification Process
TOPICS COVERED
The My Green Lab Certification program covers 14 topics including energy, water, waste, chemistry/materials, and engagement.
The recommendations provided through certification encourage the adoption of specific ways laboratory personnel can act as individuals in the lab and on larger projects (for example in involving facilities or safety groups). While we focus on behavior change and tasks that scientists can do themselves— the program also provides recommendations for more extensive changes to the space or maintenance of equipment that can significantly impact sustainability parameters (but may take more time to implement).
HOW TO BECOME CERTIFIED
Whether you are a lab manager, graduate student, postdoc, scientist, sustainability program manager, R&D leader, energy manager, or anyone else who works in or supports labs— we can help you on your journey towards a more sustainable laboratory. My Green Lab Certification program is designed to give laboratories actionable ways to improve their environmental performance through a continuous improvement process
Our program consists of 5 steps:
1. Baseline Assessment Survey:
Using an online self-assessment survey, we ask individual members of the participating lab a series of questions— covering topics such as how they use and maintain equipment, the techniques they employ, and how they purchase, use, and dispose of products. Using these responses, we identify best practices already in place and recommend steps that the lab could take to adopt additional sustainability best practices.
2. Implement Changes:
Using our recommendations as guidelines, we encourage the lab personnel to take some time (typically ~6 months) to make changes in their laboratory, enlisting the help of their organization's sustainability team, safety, facilities, or EH&S teams (if applicable).
3. Certification:
After a number of changes are made, members of the lab retake the online self-assessment survey. We quantify the extent of progress in adopting best practices in the lab through the responses provided to us. Subsequently, the lab receives an overall score (in percentage) and a certification level. We also give the lab new recommendations for further improvements to make before they seek re-certification in two years (the certification is valid for two years).
4. Implement More Changes:
After the initial certification, the lab must re-certify within two years to maintain their certified status. Labs can come back sooner (within one year) if they want to check in on their progress more regularly.
5. Re-Certification:
When the lab is ready for re-certification, they retake the online self-assessment survey to see what best practices are still implemented and where they might make future changes. By making this a continuous improvement process, we allow labs to make continual changes and gauge how well the sustainability best practices are being passed on to newer members of the lab— and consequently, to what extent sustainability has become part of the lab culture.
1. Baseline Assessment Survey:
Using an online self-assessment survey, we ask individual members of the participating lab a series of questions— covering topics such as how they use and maintain equipment, the techniques they employ, and how they purchase, use, and dispose of products. Using these responses, we identify best practices already in place and recommend steps that the lab could take to adopt additional sustainability best practices.
2. Implement Changes:
Using our recommendations as guidelines, we encourage the lab personnel to take some time (typically ~6 months) to make changes in their laboratory, enlisting the help of their organization's sustainability team, safety, facilities, or EH&S teams (if applicable).
3. Certification:
After a number of changes are made, members of the lab retake the online self-assessment survey. We quantify the extent of progress in adopting best practices in the lab through the responses provided to us. Subsequently, the lab receives an overall score (in percentage) and a certification level. We also give the lab new recommendations for further improvements to make before they seek re-certification in two years (the certification is valid for two years).
4. Implement More Changes:
After the initial certification, the lab must re-certify within two years to maintain their certified status. Labs can come back sooner (within one year) if they want to check in on their progress more regularly.
5. Re-Certification:
When the lab is ready for re-certification, they retake the online self-assessment survey to see what best practices are still implemented and where they might make future changes. By making this a continuous improvement process, we allow labs to make continual changes and gauge how well the sustainability best practices are being passed on to newer members of the lab— and consequently, to what extent sustainability has become part of the lab culture.
CERTIFICATION LEVELS
There are five levels of certification: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and green. The level of certification is determined by the score on the certification assessment. It reflects both-- the percentage of possible green lab best practices that have been adopted and the extent to which they have been adopted by the lab. Rather than requiring labs to complete a discrete set of activities to achieve each level, we allow them to focus on what they can change at that time and achieve higher levels of certification as they are able to adopt more and more best practices.
investment
We offer tiered pricing options with discounted rates for academic labs. The cost of certification per lab decreases with the number of labs being enrolled in certification.
The price per lab covers both—the baseline and the final assessment survey--and includes the following features:
A Digital Certificate – Upon completing the final assessment survey, every lab will be issued a digital certificate signed by the Chief Sustainability Officer of My Green Lab. The digital certificate will contain the lab's certification level and the certification date.
Feedback Report – Every certified lab will be provided with a comprehensive report summarizing the lab members' consolidated answers to the assessment and providing information and recommendations to enable change. The feedback report will have a summary of how the lab scored overall, as well as how the lab scored in each topic area and question in the assessment. This report recommends ways that the lab can improve for every question in the assessment based on their answers to those questions. The report also contains ‘Learning Centers’ with background information and links to resources to help labs better understand the topic and find ways to support change.
Feedback Presentation – Every certified lab will be provided with a summary presentation of the lab's results. The feedback presentation is an impactful communication aid to present the assessment results to the lab in a concise and meaningful way and guide the conversation about what best practices they will adopt. The presentation will give an overview of the lab's score. For each topic in the assessment, we will highlight the areas where the lab is already doing well and where the lab could make improvements.
Resources for engagement – Every lab enrolled in the program will be provided with resources to support their green lab efforts from beginning to end. These resources will include communication plans and templates to generate and increase engagement in your program across the organization. We will also include worksheets, case studies, poster templates, and more to support the implementation of new best practices. There would be pre-recorded training videos available— covering strategies for presenting results to the lab to adopt the recommendations provided through the certification.
Program management and ongoing customer support – We provide regular email updates during the assessment phase as well as notifications of crucial deadlines and progress throughout the certification process. Labs will also be provided with innovative technical support and assistance from My Green Lab staff while implementing recommendations.
Press release and marketing package – Interested labs can utilize My Green Lab's vast community network to advertise their commitment to sustainable science through My Green Lab Certification.
PRICING:
The price per lab covers both—the baseline and the final assessment survey--and includes the following features:
A Digital Certificate – Upon completing the final assessment survey, every lab will be issued a digital certificate signed by the Chief Sustainability Officer of My Green Lab. The digital certificate will contain the lab's certification level and the certification date.
Feedback Report – Every certified lab will be provided with a comprehensive report summarizing the lab members' consolidated answers to the assessment and providing information and recommendations to enable change. The feedback report will have a summary of how the lab scored overall, as well as how the lab scored in each topic area and question in the assessment. This report recommends ways that the lab can improve for every question in the assessment based on their answers to those questions. The report also contains ‘Learning Centers’ with background information and links to resources to help labs better understand the topic and find ways to support change.
Feedback Presentation – Every certified lab will be provided with a summary presentation of the lab's results. The feedback presentation is an impactful communication aid to present the assessment results to the lab in a concise and meaningful way and guide the conversation about what best practices they will adopt. The presentation will give an overview of the lab's score. For each topic in the assessment, we will highlight the areas where the lab is already doing well and where the lab could make improvements.
Resources for engagement – Every lab enrolled in the program will be provided with resources to support their green lab efforts from beginning to end. These resources will include communication plans and templates to generate and increase engagement in your program across the organization. We will also include worksheets, case studies, poster templates, and more to support the implementation of new best practices. There would be pre-recorded training videos available— covering strategies for presenting results to the lab to adopt the recommendations provided through the certification.
Program management and ongoing customer support – We provide regular email updates during the assessment phase as well as notifications of crucial deadlines and progress throughout the certification process. Labs will also be provided with innovative technical support and assistance from My Green Lab staff while implementing recommendations.
Press release and marketing package – Interested labs can utilize My Green Lab's vast community network to advertise their commitment to sustainable science through My Green Lab Certification.
PRICING:
FAQS
Q: How long does it take to get certified?
A: The assessment takes 30-45 minutes to complete. The total time to get the final certification will depend on the time invested in making recommended changes after the baseline assessment. Typically, labs get their certificate within six to nine months of taking the baseline assessment.
Q: How many people in the lab have to take the online self-assessment surveys?
A: With a high percentage of people taking the assessment, we can accurately characterize lab operations and functions. We require at least 50% of the lab personnel to complete the assessment. This can include EHS, facilities, and procurement staff (or anyone involved in the lab's operations).
Q: What organizations have you worked with?
A: Since the program began in 2014, My Green Lab has enrolled over 1500 labs worldwide. Our certified labs span from academic labs to biotech/biopharma, clinical, government, food & beverages, incubator labs, teaching labs, and more. Please get in touch with us to learn more.
Q: What is the difference between My Green Lab Certification and ISO-14001?
A: The ISO14001 certification sets requirements for specific environmental management components to ensure a holistic and ongoing environmental management program. However, it does not specify how these policies and practices should manifest in certain parts of the organization, such as labs. My Green Lab Certification supplements ISO14001 by providing a framework to address environmental sustainability in the lab and engage the scientists in improving the sustainability of laboratory operations.
Q: How do you define a lab?
A: For academic institutions, the definition of a lab tends to be straightforward and is typically defined by the space run by and people who work for a particular Principal Investigator (PI). Biotech companies, pharma companies, or government labs have less well-defined boundaries. Hence, the interpretation of a lab is subjective. Our assessment survey asks questions about equipment use, lab practices around purchasing, chemicals and reagents, and waste disposal. Hence, we encourage defining a lab as a group of people occupying a common area, using shared equipment, and doing similar laboratory work. The lab can be made as big or as small as preferred-- keeping in mind that the definition of the lab will dictate the granularity of insights into the lab's behaviors.
Q: Do the labs get something when they get certified?
A: Yes! At the end of the final assessment, every lab will be issued a digital certificate signed by the Chief Sustainability Officer of My Green Lab. The certificate will contain the lab's certification level and certification date. Additional press releases and marketing packages are available, decided case by case.
Q: Why don't you give a certificate after the first assessment?
A: The My Green Lab Certification encourages lab members to make changes to their behaviors and how they work in the lab on a daily basis-- and behavior change takes time and practice. By breaking the process up into steps we are introducing time for the lab to work on changing behaviors. Ultimately, this process leads to a more sustained culture and mindset of sustainability in the lab.
Q: Will you visit our lab and check up on our progress?
A: My Green Lab Certification is not an audit program-- we would not visit your lab with a clipboard to ensure you are doing what you report. Instead, we use online self-assessment surveys to ask individual lab members about their practice. We then use the combined responses to get a sense of the lab's workings.
Q: My organization has a green labs program/green lab certification-- is that the same as My Green Lab Certification?
A: Not necessarily. Many organizations have their own outstanding green labs programs that are not affiliated with My Green Lab. If you want to know whether My Green Lab is working with your organization, please inquire by emailing us at [email protected].
We recommend engaging with your organizational green lab program to align your practices with your organization’s goals and take advantage of their resources. If you also want to pursue our program and take advantage of a proven process with a robust library of resources, knowledgeable staff, and a sophisticated technical platform— we are still happy to work with you.
Q: How does My Green Lab keep the certification up-to-date?
A: Laboratory sustainability is a dynamic and evolving topic— new technologies and products can redefine best practices and opportunities. To ensure that we stay up to date on sustainability best practices, My Green Lab develops and strengthens our standards by partnering with subject matter experts, safety and sustainability managers, manufacturers, and others. Together, we review and update our programs periodically.
Q: What if want to appeal a certification decision?
A: My Green Lab takes the integrity of our certifications very seriously. Appeals follow a formal procedure and are documented to ensure impartiality. For a copy of our Complaints and Appeals Procedure, please email [email protected].
A: The assessment takes 30-45 minutes to complete. The total time to get the final certification will depend on the time invested in making recommended changes after the baseline assessment. Typically, labs get their certificate within six to nine months of taking the baseline assessment.
Q: How many people in the lab have to take the online self-assessment surveys?
A: With a high percentage of people taking the assessment, we can accurately characterize lab operations and functions. We require at least 50% of the lab personnel to complete the assessment. This can include EHS, facilities, and procurement staff (or anyone involved in the lab's operations).
Q: What organizations have you worked with?
A: Since the program began in 2014, My Green Lab has enrolled over 1500 labs worldwide. Our certified labs span from academic labs to biotech/biopharma, clinical, government, food & beverages, incubator labs, teaching labs, and more. Please get in touch with us to learn more.
Q: What is the difference between My Green Lab Certification and ISO-14001?
A: The ISO14001 certification sets requirements for specific environmental management components to ensure a holistic and ongoing environmental management program. However, it does not specify how these policies and practices should manifest in certain parts of the organization, such as labs. My Green Lab Certification supplements ISO14001 by providing a framework to address environmental sustainability in the lab and engage the scientists in improving the sustainability of laboratory operations.
Q: How do you define a lab?
A: For academic institutions, the definition of a lab tends to be straightforward and is typically defined by the space run by and people who work for a particular Principal Investigator (PI). Biotech companies, pharma companies, or government labs have less well-defined boundaries. Hence, the interpretation of a lab is subjective. Our assessment survey asks questions about equipment use, lab practices around purchasing, chemicals and reagents, and waste disposal. Hence, we encourage defining a lab as a group of people occupying a common area, using shared equipment, and doing similar laboratory work. The lab can be made as big or as small as preferred-- keeping in mind that the definition of the lab will dictate the granularity of insights into the lab's behaviors.
Q: Do the labs get something when they get certified?
A: Yes! At the end of the final assessment, every lab will be issued a digital certificate signed by the Chief Sustainability Officer of My Green Lab. The certificate will contain the lab's certification level and certification date. Additional press releases and marketing packages are available, decided case by case.
Q: Why don't you give a certificate after the first assessment?
A: The My Green Lab Certification encourages lab members to make changes to their behaviors and how they work in the lab on a daily basis-- and behavior change takes time and practice. By breaking the process up into steps we are introducing time for the lab to work on changing behaviors. Ultimately, this process leads to a more sustained culture and mindset of sustainability in the lab.
Q: Will you visit our lab and check up on our progress?
A: My Green Lab Certification is not an audit program-- we would not visit your lab with a clipboard to ensure you are doing what you report. Instead, we use online self-assessment surveys to ask individual lab members about their practice. We then use the combined responses to get a sense of the lab's workings.
Q: My organization has a green labs program/green lab certification-- is that the same as My Green Lab Certification?
A: Not necessarily. Many organizations have their own outstanding green labs programs that are not affiliated with My Green Lab. If you want to know whether My Green Lab is working with your organization, please inquire by emailing us at [email protected].
We recommend engaging with your organizational green lab program to align your practices with your organization’s goals and take advantage of their resources. If you also want to pursue our program and take advantage of a proven process with a robust library of resources, knowledgeable staff, and a sophisticated technical platform— we are still happy to work with you.
Q: How does My Green Lab keep the certification up-to-date?
A: Laboratory sustainability is a dynamic and evolving topic— new technologies and products can redefine best practices and opportunities. To ensure that we stay up to date on sustainability best practices, My Green Lab develops and strengthens our standards by partnering with subject matter experts, safety and sustainability managers, manufacturers, and others. Together, we review and update our programs periodically.
Q: What if want to appeal a certification decision?
A: My Green Lab takes the integrity of our certifications very seriously. Appeals follow a formal procedure and are documented to ensure impartiality. For a copy of our Complaints and Appeals Procedure, please email [email protected].
next steps
Ready to become Green Lab Certified? Have additional questions? Choose one of the options below.
Program Sponsors:
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