Sustainability
Sustainability at VIB
Our mission
VIB is a research institute with over 1,900 collaborators who strive to create scientific excellence that translates to positive societal impact. This mission also involves promoting sustainability in its broadest sense, which means working towards a prosperous planet for all.
We understand that to achieve our goals, we are working in high-consuming laboratory environments, purchasing products with complex supply chains, and traveling across the globe. We recognize that this has an impact on the environment and the people involved in its operations and supply chain. Therefore, we are designing policies and taking actions aimed at mitigating these impacts.
Ongoing actions and initiatives
All VIB centers have eco teams, groups of volunteers who dedicate time to planning and executing sustainability actions. The actions and initiatives here have been developed in close cooperation with the sustainability coordinator and the eco teams.
- Exchange sustainability best practices among the center eco teams, resulting in guidance documents on waste reduction and energy consumption.
- Conduct a full-scope carbon accounting using the Greenhouse Gas protocol on a yearly basis to follow up on the progress of emission reductions.
- Set Science-Based Targets to meet the requirements set by the Paris Climate Change Agreement with the aim of becoming net zero as an organization by 2050 at the latest.
- Report yearly on our targets, policies, and actions according to the requirements of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
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Develop a sustainable procurement policy that complies with the proposed corporate sustainability due diligence legislation (CSDDD), based on the principles of circular economy, respect for human rights and aims at creating positive environmental impacts.
- Set up, maintain, and report on a clear governance structure for decision and policy making in sustainability matters, building on the bottom-up initiatives taken by our center eco teams.
- Create awareness through communication, both internally and externally, about our sustainability targets, policies, and actions.
- Provide training to VIB staff and share knowledge and best practices with our partners and communities worldwide. View all our upcoming training.
Sustainability opportunities in our research
VIB's dedication to creating a positive impact on society through scientific research has led to a series of breakthrough opportunities over the years. These are some very recent examples of how VIB research creates opportunities in areas such as accessible healthcare, sustainable materials, and sustainable agriculture.
Breakthrough in applicable biobased materials
The VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology will investigate highly conductive fibers as a radically new technological material. The project, headed by Prof. Han Remaut, was recognized as one of the Moonshot initiatives of the Flemish government.
Soy in Flanders
In this Grand Challenges project, 1000 citizens were engaged to grow soy in their own garden. Led by Prof. Sofie Goormachtig, endogenous Rhizobium bacteria from soy plants grown in Belgian soil were isolated and data regarding soil type, microorganisms, and soy variety were integrated for the development and implementation of guidelines on optimal cultivation methods for soy in our region. In the long-term, this should facilitate the production of tailor-made seeds inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that are adapted to local soil conditions and can improve soy yields.
Inhalable biologics to control respiratory infections
The main goal of this Grand Challenges project led by Prof. Xavier Saelens is to come up with a radically different approach to control influenza. The general aim is to create biologicals that will be applied locally to treat or prevent influenza. Affordability and accessibility of treatment can benefit hugely under this breakthrough scenario.
The VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
This research center practices curiosity-driven research on basic cellular mechanisms in plants. Many of its research projects prove to be major contributions to climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as to sustainable agriculture. For example, the center’s area on plant metabolism, growth, and development has considerable potential to address climate-related issues. Metabolic engineering can optimize nitrogen use efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase plant resilience to pathogens and environmental stresses, including heat, cold, drought, or heavy metals. Additionally, PSB scientists study how water deficiency affects nutrient uptake by roots and the associated microbiome. The results of this research can help us understand the molecular basis of stress responses in plants and can also be used as a basis to develop new strategies for improving the sustainability and climate resilience of crops.