Sustainable Development Goals - How far are laboratories concerned?

To meet this goal, we need to improve agricultural productivity through resilient agricultural practices. These include the use of genetically diverse and resistant seeds. The latter are obtained by natural cross fertilisation over several decades or are genetically engineered (GE) in a comparatively shorter time by man in biotechnology laboratories. 

Highly restrictive contractual agreement governs the use of private corporate GE seeds by farmers – such as limited rights to save and reuse the seeds from the GE crops. Farmers need to purchase the seeds every year from the corporates. The GE seeds grown on a farm do not evolve in real life farming conditions - and changing environmental conditions over the years - that challenge the stability of its biotechnologically attributed resistance. How far do these meet with sustainability? 

Laboratories have ethical and social roles to play in addition to their expert capabilities to generate a bank of genetically diversified and potentially climate resistant seeds. 

Reducing the mortality rates - from communicable and non-communicable diseases - is a prime objective of the SDG 3. The pharmaceutical industry laboratories are key actors in this part. Their sustainable operations into the development of vaccines and medication need to be transparent and traceable. Matters such as hazardous wastes management, use of animals for trials and respect of freedom of choice, have to be addressed as they impact on environment, biodiversity and fundamental human rights. Indeed, it is quite questionable how people over the world have been compelled to have COVID19 injection when the product : {i} did not pass the regulatory process of validation for vaccines; (ii) did not prevent a subject receiving the injection from getting sick or to propagate the virus or even to die from an eventual contamination and sickness.

Water treatment and control of quality parameters are vital to ensure safe potable water. Some analysis require table-top equipment within a controlled environment while others can be done on-site to rapidly address operational anomalies – either using in-line instruments or via rapid-testing kits. Nowadays some of those kits have acceptable precision and reliability for efficient and effective on-site control allowing continuous safe water availability. Laboratories developing such on-site tools need to ensure that measurements thresholds are compliant to microbiological and chemical regulations. They need to communicate clearly on calibration requirements to ensure reliable results. Use of non-hazardous, accessible and available-at-point-of-use consumables are determinant factors to be considered as well.

Laboratories need to be role models for actions that need to be implemented on large scale. As such, incentives should be provided by governments to promote use of clean and renewable energy for labs – for example through special grants for the installation of solar panels. This may contribute to improve energy efficiency or allow self-sufficiency for small laboratories. Some equipment can be very highly energy consuming – further financial encouragements should be given to shift to more efficient versions while providing solutions for resulting wastes. These issues need to be addressed through the association of laboratory managements for submission to the national decision-makers.

Transparent and traceable procedures for wastes management in laboratories are critical for the control of environmental and health risks. Use of chemicals is inherent to the conduct of testing and research protocols. Laboratories also generate solid wastes (including bulky obsolete equipment or routinely used small consumables) – which may be soiled with biological or chemical agents. Adequate risk-based analysis needs to be documented for the appropriate process of disposal. They need to be communicated and accessible to the personnel. A competent staff intervening at any decision-making or decision-feeding level need to show evidence of having comprehensive understanding of the life cycle of a testing activity and its connection to waste management. Proactiveness to rationalise hazardous waste input may then be expected from qualified resources within the laboratory structure. 

To provide an internationally recognised documentary structure for SDG goals implementation into laboratories, the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 may, for example, be further reviewed and revised to incorporate ISO 14001:2015 applicable exigencies regarding environmental management.