Research excellence

The aim of the Concordat is to ensure research and innovation continues to play a critical part in understanding how our planet is changing, while helping us to act responsibly to protect and promote our environment. Signatories will align with the science of climate change and ecology and commit to transparently sharing information and learnings about the environmental impacts of their work.  

As a signatory to the Concordat, we have committed to taking action to deliver change in the following six areas:

• Leadership and system change
• Sustainable infrastructure
• Sustainable procurement
• Emissions from business and academic travel
• Collaborations and partnerships
• Environmental impact and reporting data

Wellcome and Cancer Research UK have announced that, by the end of 2025, they will require researchers applying to the majority of their funding schemes to hold accreditation demonstrating the environmental sustainability of their laboratories.

Cancer Research UK's new Environmental Sustainability policy states that this requirement will be enforced for applicants submitting proposals to all relevant funding calls closing from 1 January 2026 onwards (with certain exclusions ).

Wellcome's new Environmental Sustainability policy states that laboratories should achieve the minimum level of accreditation by the end of 2025.

The accreditation requirements will apply to research conducted in wet labs such as biomedical, clinical and chemical laboratories, not to research which is solely desk-based or field-based.

In order to meet Wellcome and Cancer Research UK requirements, researchers can apply for sustainable lab accreditation via the University’s Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) programme Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework supported by the University's Sustainability team.  

Please note that Silver LEAF accreditation will be a mandatory requirement for applications to Cancer Research UK calls with final deadlines on or after 1 January 2026 (for any-two stage calls, first-stage deadlines may be in 2025). Wellcome expects laboratories to achieve Bronze accreditation by 1 January 2026.

Those whose research is likely to be affected by these new requirements and whose laboratories do not yet have LEAF accreditation are now strongly encouraged to work with the University’s Sustainability team to achieve this accreditation. This is essential for anyone considering applying for funding from Wellcome and/or Cancer Research UK from 2025 onwards.