Abstract
Since the 1970's the number of scientific publications with sustainability as a keyword has increased from 1 in 1975 to 13,628 in 2019. Research, like all human endeavors, has impacts on the environment due to the activities required to generate the supporting data (i.e., use of vehicles, resources, and materials). Researchers have a responsibility to minimize their impacts as part of their work and to make environmentally responsible decisions. A life-cycle approach is currently the best-developed means of assessing the impact of a group or organization. This article presents a case study of organizational life cycle assessment (O-LCA) of a research project. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate the impact of the project, focusing on travel. (ii) Use a post hoc approach to determine impact reduction opportunities. (iii) Apply O-LCA as a decision-making tool in project management of research and (iv) profile the environmental impact of the project using public data (manufacturers figures) and proprietary datasets. The results of this study indicate that the greatest impact arising from the project was due to commuting followed by conference and training attendance, fieldwork and meetings. Scenarios modeling, alternative vehicle use, flexible working arrangements and stakeholder events highlighted the reduction potential that could have been implemented as part of the project. O-LCA proved to be an appropriate tool for assessing the impact of a research group and that it has the potential to inform decisions and management of academic projects and events. It should be noted that the ability of research groups or personnel to bring about change might be limited, typically due to their placement within a larger organization (e.g., a higher education institute). The recent COVID-19 pandemic, has hastened the shift to remote working practices for many organizations. Recent surveys indicate that more than 80% of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, after the pandemic. This modal shift in working practices offers an immediate opportunity for environmental relief. It is recommended that O-LCA be incorporated into groups and organizations to support their decision-making practices to foster responsible and sustainable research.
Highlights
As the impacts of human activities become visible and the realities of climate change become evident, the number of research projects, programmes, and initiatives focusing on sustainability and sustainable production has increased
Analysis of the project interviews and records revealed that project personnel traveled 143,098 km over the life of the project
All researchers when armed with either the registration number or make and model of a vehicle should be able to find the manufacturers figures on emissions per unit of distance. Using these figures for each respective vehicle, researchers, or practitioners can use freely available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods such as CML or ReCiPe to approximate the impact of their activities. Even with such a simple approach proposed in this case study there remain several methodological choices, which have limitations, and implications on how O-life cycle assessment (LCA) can be included within research project management practices
Summary
As the impacts of human activities become visible and the realities of climate change become evident, the number of research projects, programmes, and initiatives focusing on sustainability and sustainable production has increased. A search on the academic database, Scopus, revealed that between 1970 and 2016 the number of peer-reviewed articles featuring the terms “sustainability” and “sustainable” have increased from 1 and 5, to 11,962 and 21,664 respectively (Figure 1). This increase in the volume of publications comes at a price. These publications hide an indirect impact due to the resources used, the fieldwork carried out, the meetings attended and the conferences where the research was disseminated. When investigating the impacts and sustainability of their topics and areas, researchers should look to minimize or estimate the environmental impacts associated with their work
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