Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A biotech firm requires every wet lab site to achieve My Green Lab Green certification by 2027 as part of its scope-3 commitment.
- Is an instance
A university core facility uses the My Green Lab survey to baseline staff sustainability behaviour before launching a freezer challenge.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A LEED building certification covers the building envelope, not laboratory operations.
- Not an instance
An ISO 50001 energy management certificate does not include behavioural or sample-stewardship criteria.
Editorial commentary
My Green Lab provides the most widely recognised global certification for laboratory sustainability, distinct from LEAF in that it relies on an extensive anonymous survey of lab staff combined with operational data. Certification levels run from Bronze through Green, with Green requiring near-total adoption of best practice. The organisation also publishes the Center for Energy Efficient Laboratories (CEEL) equipment ratings (ACT label) and operates the Freezer Challenge with the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories. Many large pharma companies (AstraZeneca, GSK, Biogen) include My Green Lab certification targets in their corporate net-zero roadmaps.
References
- My Green Lab certification standards (mygreenlab.org); UNFCCC Race to Zero Healthcare sector report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What certification levels does My Green Lab offer?
My Green Lab certification levels run from Bronze through Green, with the Green tier requiring near-total adoption of best practice across the lab’s operations.
How is My Green Lab certification different from LEAF?
Unlike LEAF (the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework), My Green Lab certification relies on an extensive anonymous survey of lab staff combined with operational data, rather than an audit-based framework alone.
What does My Green Lab assess in a laboratory?
My Green Lab assesses laboratory sustainability across behaviour, equipment, infrastructure, and culture, combining anonymous staff survey responses with operational data to produce a tiered certification rating.
What is the ACT label from My Green Lab?
The ACT label is an equipment sustainability rating that My Green Lab publishes through its Center for Energy Efficient Laboratories (CEEL), used to rate the environmental impact of laboratory equipment.
What is the My Green Lab Freezer Challenge?
The Freezer Challenge is a programme My Green Lab operates jointly with the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories, encouraging labs to improve the energy efficiency of their freezers and cold storage equipment.
Which companies require My Green Lab certification?
Several large pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, GSK, and Biogen, include My Green Lab certification targets in their corporate net-zero roadmaps.
Also known as
MGL · My Green Lab Certification
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
<role vocab="credit"
vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
vocab-term="My Green Lab"
vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/my-green-lab" />{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "DefinedTerm",
"@id": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/my-green-lab",
"name": "My Green Lab",
"identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/my-green-lab",
"description": "A US-based non-profit organisation and certification programme that assesses laboratory sustainability across behaviour, equipment, infrastructure, and culture, issuing tiered certifications used by pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic labs worldwide.",
"inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/sustainable-research#set",
"url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/my-green-lab",
"sameAs": [
"MGL",
"My Green Lab Certification"
],
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"publisher": {
"@id": "https://casrai.org/#organization"
},
"author": {
"@id": "https://casrai.org/#editorial-team"
},
"datePublished": "2026-05-21T02:23:01",
"dateModified": "2026-08-15T04:33:15",
"inLanguage": "en-GB",
"isAccessibleForFree": true
}
