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sustainabletimes
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Without data we
are blind. It is
only through data
collection and
experiments that
one can identify
where the easy
wins lie.
change management
A formula for
success
If anyone needs evidence that
chemistry is an expensive subject
all you need do is think back to
headlines from the years 2004/5
when a series of chemistry
departments were closed down
across the UK by Vice-Chancellors
wanting to contain their universities’
costs.What prevailed at the time
was the idea that these costs were
fixed and there was nothing that
could be done about them.
This idea was at the back of my
mind when I first started asking
questions about my own department’s
use of utilities in the mid-2000s.
I was curious to find out what my
Department’s carbon footprint and
water consumption were. It took some
time and stealth to work out that our
building was using almost 200 tonnes of
water and some 350 MWh of electricity
per day, equivalent to more than 200
tonnes of CO2 per month. On hearing
the numbers, a senior colleague said
to me “It doesn’t bear thinking about”.
It was not an auspicious beginning.
Science showman Professor Andrea Sella, whose chemistry
demonstrations have filled theatres around the world, offers his top
tips for improving sustainability in laboratories – lessons that are
just as relevant for workers in other industry sectors
The eight years since have
been a strange mix of success and
frustration that really encapsulates
the complexities of addressing green/
sustainability issues within a big
organisation. The lessons I’ve learned
can be summarised in nine points.
1
Multifaceted problems are a
good thing.
The scale of the problem
of reducing waste and energy/water
consumption can easily lead to a sense
of hopelessness. Yet, achieving small
successes can provide momentum and
buy time for larger projects. You need
fall-backs and morale boosters. Be
patient and have several strings to your
bow.
2
Get reliable data
.Without data
we are blind. It is only through data
collection and experiments that one
can identify where the easy wins lie. By
working out who were the big water
users (they weren’t the obvious “wet
chemistry” teams), we were able to
reduce water consumption from 200 to
55 t/day at a cost of less than £2,000.
But telemetry remains a problem and
without it, it is difficult to lock-in wins.
3
Build relationships.
One of the
biggest problems within universities
is the silo-isation of responsibility.
Academics seldom talk to building
managers and plumbers. Get to know
these people. Build alliances. Eventually
they give results. At UCL, plumbers now
even teach our undergrads.
4
Don’t bang on about climate
change.
Talking to people about
climate change is like talking to them
about pensions – most people either
don’t want to know or are completely
fatalistic. Either it’s boring or it’s too
big a problem to think about. Approach
the problem differently – point out the
immediate convenience, efficiency and/
or cash savings that accrue from ideas
like centralised pull printers, chemical
sharing schemes, cycling to work and/or
water reduction measures.
5
Provide incentives.
Universities
typically top-slice overhead costs,
inadvertently removing any incentive
for departments to act. University
management must find mechanisms
to return savings made on waste
disposal, water use etc. to individual
departments. By suddenly turning
savings into a revenue stream, heads of
department will sit up and take notice.
6
Provide users/occupants with
feedback.
Improvements in efficiency
are often invisible to users. It is crucial
to make data visible to show people
that their efforts actually amount to
something. It boosts morale.
7
Reward people.
Nurturing staff and
their enthusiasm is a fundamental tenet
of effective management. Providing
prizes or at least a few drinks to
celebrate achievements is an important
way to keep people on board.
8
Draw on other people’s ideas
and enthusiasms.
Always keep an ear
open for ideas. Our chemical inventory
is down to an enthusiastic research
fellow. He is now spreading it to other
universities across the country.
9
Do something.
If you have to wait
for everyone to agree, you’ll never start
anything. Do something. See how it
works. If it works, extend it with the help
of allies.When it works and produces
savings, report it to the boss. If it’s a
waste of time you can retreat quietly.
One of the speakers at this year’s
Lab Innovations, which took place on
November 5-6 at the NEC, Birmingham,
Andrea Sella has been Professor of
Inorganic Chemistry at University
College, London since 2011.
