LSBU Group commits to strengthening sustainability in research
London South Bank University (LSBU) Group is strengthening the sustainability of its research by signing a national agreement that sets clear expectations for reducing the environmental impact of research and innovation.
By signing the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice, LSBU Group is deepening its commitment to embedding sustainable practice across its research culture, operations and decision‑making, ensuring environmental responsibility is a core part of how research happens across the institution.
Clear expectations for sustainable research environments
The concordat sets out expectations for creating research environments that minimise environmental harm, improve resource efficiency and embed sustainability into everyday practice.
By signing, LSBU Group has committed to delivering against all priority areas and taking shared action to reduce and ultimately eliminate its environmental impacts and emissions.
LSBU Group has a strong track record of advancing practical solutions that support a more sustainable world. In 2010, London South Bank University opened the Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings (CEREB), a pioneering teaching, research and demonstration centre for renewable and low‑carbon technologies.
More recently, the Southwark campus has acted as a live demonstrator for an Innovate UK–funded project exploring balanced‑energy district heat networks. The University also sources 100% renewable electricity and continuously monitors energy use and emissions, using data‑driven insights to improve how its buildings and infrastructure perform.
The signing of the concordat will accelerate work already underway to embed sustainability across the research environment, from the design and operation of laboratories to procurement decisions, travel planning and partnerships.
Planned actions include pursuing LEAF accreditation for laboratories and continuing work to improve the energy efficiency of research facilities. The Group will also ensure that procurement decisions favour low‑impact materials and services, and will support virtual collaboration and more coordinated travel planning to help reduce emissions associated with academic and business travel.
LSBU Group will also publish transparent environmental impact reporting for its research activity to celebrate progress, identify areas for improvement, and maintain accountability.
Professor Chris Harty, Chair of LSBU Sustainability Committee and Executive Dean of the College of Technology and Environment, said: “Signing the concordat is an important step in strengthening the way we think about and practise research across LSBU Group. Sustainability isn’t something we can treat as an add‑on, it must be woven into our culture, our decision‑making and the environments where research happens every day.
“Our researchers are already contributing knowledge and solutions that support a more sustainable future. The concordat allows us to match that ambition with the way we operate as an organisation, ensuring that our practices reflect the same values as our research.”
LSBU Group will continue evolving its practices and contributing to the wider science and practice of long‑term environmental sustainability and regeneration. By transforming its own operations while generating new knowledge and solutions, the Group aims to play a leading role both locally and globally.