Sustainability & Environment at LSTM

LSTM's mission it to improve health outcomes in disadvantaged populations globally through research, education and partnership.  Given that the impact of climate change disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged sectors of society, we have an obligation to ensure sustainability is considered in all our activities and act as advocates for climate justice.   

We are committed to:
Developing and sustaining a culture of sustainability within the organisation.   
Embedding environmental sustainability actions within all activities. 
Raising awareness of environmental sustainability through communication programmes and activities. 

As a socially conscious organisation, we uphold and promote the core principles of accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour, consideration of stakeholder interest and respect for human rights, the rule of law and international norms of behaviour. We are a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and details of how we are supporting the Principles in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption can be found here.

Our policy on sustainability and environment can be accessed here and the infographic below illustrates some of our key targets. Our action plan is reviewed annually and reviewed by LSTM Executive. We are also signatories of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice.

Our Sustainability and Environmental Committee, established in 2021 has broad representation across the school’s departments and career stages and is responsible for the development and implementation of environmental sustainability across LSTM ensuring an integrated, proactive approach to environmental sustainability that is informed by best practice, and aligns with our values and strategy.  

Find out more about the responsibilities of the committee and LSTM’s Green Network here.

Sustainability and Environment Committee (SEC)

LSTM established the Sustainability and Environment Committee (SEC) in January 2021. SEC has broad representation across the school’s departments and career stages and is responsible for the development and implementation of environmental sustainability across LSTM ensuring an integrated, proactive approach to environmental sustainability that is informed by best practice, and aligns with our values, objectives and strategy.  

SEC works in close partnership with other parts of LSTM governance structures and reports to LSTMs Executive. In addition to the formal network LSTM also has a Green network which is open to all staff and students committed to increasing the sustainability of our activities.  In 2022 LSTM appointed our first Sustainability and Environment Manager, Towera Gacina, to accelerate progress in meeting our Environmental and Sustainability commitments. 

Reducing our carbon footprint from travel

LSTM recognises that international travel is vital to its operations, but also that travel, particularly flights, makes up a significant part of its carbon footprint. Hence we need to challenge ourselves to ensure the proposed trips are both necessary, and conducted in the most carbon efficient manner, to reduce our emissions.

Our Targets

To reduce air travel emissions for business use by 10% by 2025 (from 2022 baseline)
Develop the LSTM Local Travel Plan by January 2025

How

Providing guidance to staff to identify alternatives to air travel and to reduce their own carbon footprint from necessary international travel in our Global Travel Policy.
Improving data collection to ensure all travel emissions are captured, including data from commuting, and reporting carbon emissions by Department with progress against targets.
Promoting active modes of travel to the Liverpool campus, improving health and wellbeing of LSTM staff and student

LSTM Travel and UN SDG

Good health and well-being: We promote active travel - walking and cycling to work - for our staff and students, supporting healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. Secure cycle parking and shower facilities have been installed on the LSTM campus. LSTM Bike Users Group has been set up to provide support and information to bike users.

Sustainable cities and communities: We facilitate a cycle to work scheme for all LSTM staff supporting a shift to more sustainable modes of transport. We promote and provide information on how to get to LSTM campus more sustainably to staff, students and visitors.

Climate action: We collate, analyse and monitor our business travel carbon emissions, particularly from air flights. The LSTM Global Travel Policy and Travel Guidance providfes details on how staff and students can consider ways to reduce emissions from their trips. Sustainability and Environment Committee have set targets towards reducing flight travel emissions and are exploring ways to effectively offset emissions from unavoidable trips.

Green Working

LSTM’s Green Lab Guide includes sections on Laboratory waste, Energy and equipment and Procurement and contains an easy to use checklist of suggestions which can be implemented within lab groups, printable signs/infographics, and an associated green labs pledge. 

We have signed up to the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) and are currently working towards our Bronze Award.

We promote the waste hierarchy of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to minimize our impact on the environment, and with support from our waste management providers, we continuously carry out waste audits in offices and labs to determine if receptacles are correctly used, monitor contamination levels and identify required improvements.

In 2024 we successfully implemented a ‘ban the office bin’ campaign.

Biodiversity

LSTM has limited outdoor space due to being located within the urbanised Liverpool City Centre. Despite this, we aspire to provide, protect and enhance natural habitats on LSTM’s estates LSTM Sustainability and Environmental Policy. 

In 2024 a staff and student volunteers led project developed a small area of derelict land to behind a car park into a sustainability focused outdoor garden. The garden contains features intended to enhance biodiversity such as a wildlife pond, bird bath, bird boxes, bug hotel, composter, tree and herbs planting areas.

Environmental sustainability in estates management

Sustainability in building developments is considered across all our Estates.  

In October 2020 LSTM switched from brown electricity – containing fossil fuels – to 100% certifiable renewable energy.  Since 2010 LSTM has had a zero waste to landfill policy and we are currently reviewing our waste management processes to increase the percentage recycled. LSTM is a full member of the North West Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC), an affiliate of Electronics Watch, to promote the rights of workers in the supply chain for electronic goods.  

LSTM’s Sustainability Manager coordinates the carbon data collection and analysis, identifying areas of improvements and reporting on performance. We are working to improve our data systems and how we collect and record LSTM’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions including Scope 3 emissions associated with waste generated, water use, student and staff commuting, student travel and the procurement supply chain. In the interim Scope 1 & 2 emissions are reported in LSTM Annual Financial Statements. 

Note that LSTM do not have residential accommodations for students or staff.

Find out more about waste management, procurement, energy efficiency improvements and sustainable food

Sustainability within our Education & Student engagement

The ‘Education for Sustainability’(EfS) group ensures that Education contributes to the School-wide approach to sustainably and includes colleagues and students across departments. 

Climate Change and Climate Injustice are embedded in the curriculum through the ‘Global Climate Change and Health’ module that is part of the on-campus and online Masters programmes curricula and is also available as a standalone course for our PGR and external students. Environmental sustainability “threads” are woven into other modules (for example the Humanitarian Health module incorporates scenarios-based learning to illustrate the environmental challenges faced in humanitarian crises and the Outbreak Control and Health Protection module explores the impact of environmental factors on health of local communities). Further opportunities for students to develop critical understanding of the sustainability and environment issues and skills necessary to address these issues are provided within the ‘Academic and Scientific Skills’ module.  

In addition, a range of extracurricular activities are offered to students, such as carbon literacy workshops, seminars and lectures with guest speakers from major international NGOs, film nights and organised debates on relevant topics, World Environment Day celebrations and more. Student-led initiatives are prioritised with staff members providing creative and supportive environment to encourage their interest and efforts. 

Workers' Rights

Living Wage

We are accredited as Living Wage Employer this year by the Living Wage Foundation, ensuring that everyone can earn a wage that meets their everyday needs. All our contracted staff receive the same pay and benefits as directly employed staff, reflected in the service contracts. 

Modern Slavery

LSTM works towards building a strong foundation to work from to contribute to the global fight against slavery and human trafficking. Further information on our contribution to the global fight against slavery and human trafficking can be found in our Modern Slavery Statement. We ensure compliance with important legislations such as Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Bribery Act 2010 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Careers Support

LSTM is a small, specialist research institute and does not currently have an in-house careers service but we have a number of initiatives to further the employment prospects of staff and students. These are managed by the Learning and Development Manager, and the Career and Development of Researchers Group with representatives from all sectors of LSTM’s research community.

Our Sustainable Investments

LSTM have renewed our commitment to sustainable investments through a recent procurement exercise with a strong emphasis on sustainability. Our new Investment Managers - Abrdn and Ruffer both put sustainable investing solutions at the heart of all the activities they undertake and demonstrated that they have embedded ESG consideration in all they do. Abrdn believe that “understanding the full range of environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities is key to generating strong and sustainable returns whilst having a positive impact on the environment, society and the wider world”. Through their 2022 Responsible Investment Report, Ruffer demonstrate their commitment and contribute to ESG over the past 12 months.

We are looking forward to working with both of our new investment managers to develop LSTM’s commitment to sustainable and responsible investing.

Sustainable Catering

As a global institution, our staff are based all over the world, but we have a number of staff working from our premises in Liverpool where we have limited catering facilities. On our Liverpool site we recently installed new plastic free vending solutions and have removed plastic from our milk supply for our social meeting spaces and meeting hospitality. Through our approved suppliers we are able to provide milk alternatives to staff using our social spaces and our Green working group is actively promoting the benefits of these alternatives through a poster campaign. A coffee and composting initiative run by our Environment Working Group will soon be starting at LSTM.

A selection of recyclable food containers