Guest post written by Floriane Leseur & Samantha Alex Gordine, Arcondis.

The world is waking up to the realities of climate change, but the healthcare sector has lagged behind in recognising and addressing its own environmental impact. From energy-guzzling labs to resource-intensive R&D practices, healthcare and the labs that power it must now step up. The truth is clear: sustainable labs are no longer a nice-to-have. They are a must.

A Wake-Up Call for Healthcare

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited global environmental consciousness. Since then, science has drawn a clear link between human activity and planetary decline. Yet healthcare is an industry that is deeply reliant on natural resources. It has only recently begun to examine its own environmental footprint.

From drug development to clinical trials, laboratories lie at the heart of innovation. However, they also demand immense energy, water, and materials. A recent study¹ showed that the pharmaceutical industry pollutes 13% more than the automotive sector, with 55% higher emissions despite being 28% smaller. This is a startling figure, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Why Do Labs Have Such a High Environmental Cost?

Studies suggest that laboratories consume three to ten times more energy per square foot than office buildings. According to My Green Lab’s Carbon Impact Report², the biotech and pharma industries are assumed to use four times more water, generate significant plastic waste, and are assumed to be responsible for nearly 200 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.

Much of this stems from the specialised equipment and infrastructure needed: fume hoods, sterilisers, refrigeration, HVAC systems, and high-powered computing. These tools are essential for safety and precision, but their environmental cost is significant yet often overlooked.

Even within the pharmaceutical sector, carbon footprints vary widely. Benchmarking analysis shows that labs of comparable size and function can differ in emissions by a factor of 5.5. That variability shows the untapped opportunity: better practices are possible, today.

The Case for Greener Labs

Reducing a lab’s environmental impact does not mean compromising innovation. In fact, many sustainability actions are simple, cost-saving, and productivity-boosting. This includes:

• Implementation of best practices from the 12 principles for Green Chemistry, such as replacing hazards with safer solvents where possible, or optimising chemical reaction through the atom economy principle, to minimise waste at the molecular level and maximise efficiency.
• Save thousands of liters of water by replacing single-path cooling systems with closed-loop systems.
• Reducing single-use plastics items (e.g., tubes, pipette tips, petri dishes) and replacing them with reusable glass items. If not feasible, buying bulk pipette tips instead of single plates can also considerably reduce the amount of packaging waste (e.g., plastic and cardboard), reducing the ordering cost.

And beyond cost savings, greener labs are safer, healthier places to work. Reducing exposure to toxic reagents and solvents, minimising hazardous waste, and creating a more conscientious workplace culture improves both physical and mental wellbeing. Research indicates that happier employees are proven to be 13% more productive³.

Greener Labs for Safer, Healthier, More Productive Science

Research⁴ shows that when 25% of a team adopts a new behavior, a tipping point can occur that creates wider culture change. It’s not about perfection from day one. It’s about starting small and starting now.

The hardest part is often knowing where to start. That’s why awareness and education are key. Forming a “green team” within the lab, setting measurable goals, and embedding new practices into daily routines are important first steps.

Why Every Healthcare Organization Needs a Green Lab Strategy Now

Sustainability is no longer optional. It’s embedded in global frameworks like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement and increasingly reflected in healthcare commitments. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a call for action, the “Greener pharmaceuticals’ regulatory highway,” to drive sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry. This initiative emphasises the need for innovative regulatory practices to reduce the environmental footprint of medical products while maintaining innovation and efficiency.

But this is also a moment of opportunity. Healthcare organisations can lead the way in sustainable innovation, showing that scientific progress and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

Sustainable Labs and the Future of Medicine

Transforming labs into sustainable spaces isn’t just good for the planet. It’s good for people. It’s good for science. And it’s good for business.

The long-term gains in cost, safety, health, and resilience far outweigh the initial hurdles. For healthcare to keep delivering breakthroughs while preserving the planet, labs must do better.

The future of medicine depends not just on what we discover, but on how we discover it. Now is the time for healthcare leaders, researchers, and organisations to act by championing sustainable lab practices. This includes sustainability programs like My Green Lab Certification, or committing to green initiatives like the Greener pharmaceuticals’ regulatory highway, Net Zero Initiative.

Embedding sustainability strategies such as the OneHealth approach into their business is another example. This is where Arcondis sustainable experts can support organisations to design and implement practical, scalable solutions, turning sustainability goals into measurable impact, while leading the way toward a healthier future for all.

Sources:

1. Belkhir, Lotfi, and Ahmed Elmeligi. “Carbon footprint of the global pharmaceutical industry and relative impact of its major players.” Journal of Cleaner Production214 (2019): 185-194.
2. Carbon Impact Report: Biotech & Pharma Industry Analysis
3. Bellet, Clément S., Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, and George Ward. “Does employee happiness have an impact on productivity?.” Management science3 (2024): 1656-1679.
4. Centola, Damon, et al. “Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention.” Science6393 (2018): 1116-1119.