Students as carbon accountants: calculating carbon costs of a PhD in neuroscience

Abstract

Research is an energy- and resource-demanding activity. However, despite emerging sustainability initiatives, a paucity of data and uptake of green initiatives continue to hamper effective and accountable emissions mitigation. Worldwide, >250,000 doctoral students graduate annually across all academic disciplines. Empowering students to engage in carbon accounting can raise awareness of sustainability in research and provide a substantial and robust resource of carbon data alongside a powerful community-driven impetus for decarbonization. Here, we demonstrate how students and other researchers can consistently measure the carbon footprint of their work, using 1 PhD student's research in a Drosophila neuroscience lab as our case study. We present a life cycle assessment of the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions generated by the student's research activities. Moreover, we explain how students can create a “carbon appendix’ to their research, as a common framework for disseminating carbon data and revealed strategies for improving research sustainability. We argue that the process of creating a carbon appendix can empower researchers to scrutinize sustainability practices, empower them to implement effective green initiatives, and identify data-driven solutions to meet and exceed funders' sustainability targets.