The UKRI Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020 -2025 sets out our ambition to be a leader in environmental sustainability for the sector. It sets out what we will do to enhance and recognise where we are making a positive environmental contribution, while minimising environmental harm.
In July 2019, the UK government committed to the UK economy achieving ‘net zero’ by 2050. Not only is research and innovation critical to delivering this national ambition, we must also take a lead in our own operations. UKRI has set the ambitious goal to for UKRI to be ‘net zero’ a decade earlier, by 2040 at the latest.
Video credit: UKRI
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Delivering the strategy
Positive environmental action is being taken across councils and UKRI at an individual, team and organisational level, as well as in partnership with other organisations that we work with and fund. Everyone in UKRI has a role to play in delivering our environmental sustainability strategy.
Since the strategy has been implemented, we have carried out significant changes at organisational and council level – see the following examples.
Analysing and reducing our use of energy and materials
In 2024, through the National Oceanography Centre and the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) British Antarctic Survey, we began low-carbon fuel trials on our research vessels.
The trials will explore the potential of using sustainably sourced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The trial outputs will support future decisions for our ships and support the wider shipping industry on its journey to net zero.
In 2023 we launched a new staff travel policy, no longer focusing on cost as the primary consideration when booking travel, and adopting a ‘virtual first’ approach to meetings.
We are working to decarbonise our vehicle fleet. In 2023 we purchased eight new electric vehicles for STFC’s fleet, and installed a telematics system which enables monitoring to identify potential carbon savings. In addition, six e-bikes were purchased to encourage the uptake of active travel across STFC’s Harwell and Daresbury campuses.
In 2023 we launched a PC recycling scheme for staff. The scheme has enabled devices that are no longer fit for corporate use and scheduled for disposal instead to be securely wiped and made available for staff to purchase.
Sustainable procurement of goods and services
In 2024, we published our Responsible Procurement Charter which aims to capture and communicate UKRI’s strategic values, legislative obligations, policy direction and guiding principles across six key themes, including environmental sustainability.
Managing our sites for biodiversity
At a ‘Bioblitz’ at our Head Office site in Swindon, staff identified and catalogued over 300 species to help establish a baseline measure of the biodiversity around the site. The results will contribute to plans to improve the site for wildlife.
Staff at NERC’s British Geological Survey have helped set up two bee colonies at our Keyworth site. The bees are collecting local nectar and have produced honeycomb frames which are mostly being left for the bees to feed on.
Nature recovery and biodiversity plans have been developed at all of our Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) sites. Work to develop nature recovery plans at our other sites is underway.
Lowering the environmental impact of new research and innovation infrastructure
From 2022 to 2025 we are investing a total of £481 million into a portfolio of research and innovation infrastructure. Over the last year we have updated our requirements to ensure all new infrastructure investment proposals include a full carbon impact assessment to support informed decision-making and accurate carbon forecasting.
In 2023 NERC’s British Antarctic Survey installed a smart grid and solar photovoltaic (PV) array of around 300 panels at the Bird Island research station in Antarctica. The array is in excess of 100 kWp (kilowatt peak power output) and covers most of the existing roof space at the research station.
The solar and battery system is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions and fuel use at the station by 50%.
Educating and enabling our staff
An environmental sustainability training module has been rolled out to all UKRI staff as part of our Learning and Development Programme.
Our environmental sustainability progress
Each year we report on how we are progressing against our environmental sustainability metrics and targets, as part of UKRI’s annual reporting requirements.
See the annual reports and accounts.to find out more about our progress in environmental sustainability,