Embedding sustainability in research-intensive organisations: A transferable governance framework from a biomedical research institute

Research laboratories are among the most resource-intensive environments within universities, contributing substantially to institutional energy consumption, carbon emissions, and material waste. Although laboratory sustainability frameworks such as the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) and My Green Lab provide practical mechanisms for improving laboratory practices, comparatively little is known about how sustainability becomes embedded across research-intensive organisations as a process of institutional governance and organisational transformation. This study develops and demonstrates a transferable institutional governance framework for embedding sustainability within research-intensive organisations, using the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology (ISMIB), University of Liverpool, as a longitudinal institutional case study. Drawing on systems thinking and organisational change perspectives, sustainability implementation is conceptualised as a socio-technical process involving distributed leadership, operational integration, behavioural engagement, capacity building, and institutional embedding. The findings show that sustainability is most effectively achieved when integrated into governance structures, laboratory operations, staff development, and institutional decision-making rather than implemented through isolated technical interventions. Institute-wide implementation resulted in full laboratory engagement with LEAF accreditation, substantial reductions in ultra-low-temperature freezer energy consumption, widespread sustainability training, and evidence of organisational culture change linking environmental responsibility with research excellence. The study identifies seven transferable governance principles that may support sustainability implementation across research-intensive organisations. By demonstrating how governance structures, operational systems, and organisational culture interact to enable institutional transformation, the study contributes a practical governance framework that advances understanding of sustainability transitions within research-intensive environments.