CIDRI-Africa laboratory achieves highest-tier "Green" certification from My Green Lab

The Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), based in the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Health Sciences, has achieved Green level certification from My Green Lab, the highest tier awarded under the world's most widely recognized laboratory sustainability programme.

My Green Lab Certification ranks participating laboratories across five levels—Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Green—based on the breadth and depth of sustainable practices they have adopted across 14 assessed categories, including energy use, water conservation, waste reduction, green chemistry, cold storage management, and procurement. Reaching Green level places CIDRI-Africa among a small group of laboratories worldwide to attain the programme's top ranking.

The certification process typically spans several months and begins with a detailed baseline assessment of existing lab practices, followed by a structured action plan and a second assessment to verify improvements. 

My Green Lab Certification is endorsed by the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign; more than 4000 laboratories in over 50 countries have been certified through the programme to date, spanning academic institutions, government facilities, and private industry.

CIDRI-Africa's Green certification adds to a growing number of sustainability accreditations among University of Cape Town research facilities, reflecting a broader push across academic and biomedical research institutions to reduce the environmental footprint of laboratory science.

For more information about My Green Lab Certification, visit mygreenlab.org.