Labs’ carbon footprint under scrutiny as tool calculates impact of buildings and scientists

Carbon footprint

Source: © Adam Gault/Science Photo Library

Software reveals environmental impact of over 500 French labs

A team of researchers and engineers in France has developed a tool to allow labs to work out their carbon footprint. The open source GES 1point5 enables labs to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions from heating, electricity and refrigeration; vehicles; professional travel for field work or conferences; commuting, as well as the purchase of digital devices. This includes the manufacturing of digital devices but doesn’t yet cover emissions from digital devices outside the laboratory, such as cloud servers.