Climate and Nature Strategy

Biologists have a special connection to the living world, and given the scale of the current climate and environmental crises, the RSB recognises its environmental and societal responsibilities.

We advocate for evidence-based government policies that address environmental sustainability challenges. We are also committed to becoming a carbon neutral and nature positive organisation and to helping both individual and organisational members reduce their negative impacts on nature. Our membership magazine, The Biologist, regularly investigates how bioscience can help us understand, prevent, or prepare for environmental challenges.

Changing to a Net Zero and nature-positive economy presents economic and developmental opportunities for the science sector, the wider UK economy, and beyond. Biologists are at the heart of this, and our work to support and engage them, alongside the wider public, is vital in facilitating positive change.

As a unifying voice for biology, we are committed to: 

• becoming a carbon neutral and nature positive organisation, through quick and sustainable actions, in a way that will provide long-term benefit to the environment, biodiversity, and people of our planet.
• helping both our individual and organisational members to reduce their respective carbon footprints and negative impacts on nature, with flexibility and recognition of community and organisational differences.
• advocating for evidence-based government policies that address environmental sustainability challenges. RSB will continue to lead in convening, championing, and synthesising bioscience expertise and evidence, to provide recommendations to policymakers.

In light of these commitments, the Society aims to:

• Become a carbon neutral organisation ahead of national targets, encompassing our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, with a plan to consider our Scope 3 emissions as soon as possible thereafter.
• Reduce our impact on nature while reducing our carbon footprint.
• Further reduce our environmental impact from other processes such as resource use and chemicals and waste pollution, including working towards a zero-waste-to-landfill policy.
• Undertake a complete review of internal policy to ensure sustainability and minimal environmental impact is embedded throughout.
• Continue to consider and promote training, research, and development in sustainability. We'll advance these efforts through professional development work and science and education policy outputs, including consultation responses, and engagement with government ministers, the civil service and Parliament, as well as our members and Member Organisations.
• Support our Member Organisations in reducing their own carbon footprints and negative impacts on nature, through information sharing, and knowledge exchange.
• Develop resources to support and reward our members in both understanding and reducing their carbon footprints and environmental impacts.
• Be open and transparent about our progress in this sector, communicating with our members about the actions we are taking and our future ambitions.

Our Climate and Nature Strategy is available to download.