ISCB Environmental Sustainability Policy
We are living at a time of unprecedented human-driven environmental change that threatens catastrophic changes for society and the environment. Our science has great potential to contribute to environmental science and biodiversity research outcomes. We recognise that there is a cost to the environment in the way we operate both as a society and as a community of computational biology. It is ISCB's policy to conduct our business in an environmentally sustainable and accountable manner, in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation, and we are committed to reducing as much as possible adverse environmental impacts that may result from our operations.
We aim to:
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by
- Avoiding use, wherever possible, of environmentally damaging substances, materials, and processes
- Working with our supply chain to identify and mitigate the environmental impacts associated with our activities
- Promoting a purchasing policy that gives preference, as far as practicable, to those products and services that cause the least harm to the environment.
- Aiming to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and identifying options to reduce travel when possible
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by
- Implementing policies and procedures that contribute to a reduction in the carbon footprint of the ISCB and all its activities. We will base our policies on sound scientific evidence in a transparent way
- Taking into account the direct environmental impact of our operations (including that of our meetings, travel, and the procurement of materials and services) and, where possible, make a positive contribution to the environment
- Improving our energy efficiency by actively managing energy in our operations and working closely with our conference venues to do the same when hosting ISCB events
- Reducing waste generation and increasing the proportion of waste that is recycled
- Measuring, monitoring and communicating the environmental performance of our activities to drive continual improvement in areas of significant risk and opportunity.
Create a global partnership for a sustainable future by
- Promoting a culture of environmental awareness among our membership and the wide computational biology community and encourage them to conduct their activities in an environmentally friendly manner
- Working with other agencies (such as funding agencies and research institutions) locally, nationally, and internationally to promote appropriate environmental policies
- Encouraging our members and the wider community to adopt and promote these aims in their own organizations