A Clinton School student partnered with a university-based multi-stakeholder initiative to develop indicators for measuring and reporting on the welfare of laboratory animals.
Clinton School student, Christine Sumner of Shreveport, La., collaborated with The Sustainability Consortium on a project to determine how animal welfare issues can be incorporated into research on product sustainability.
Sumner researched current animal welfare regulations, scientific and ethical literature, and progressive animal welfare practices in order to provide the Consortium with a foundation from which to build their welfare information. She focused on laboratory animal welfare since many of the Consortium members’ practices include product research and testing.
“Laboratory animal welfare is a complex topic in which we needed expertise,” said Dr. Christy Slay, research manager for the Consortium. “We were excited when Christine came to us with a strong background and understanding of lab animal issues. We will use her work to address animal welfare within the Sustainability Measurement and Reporting System.”
The Consortium has created the Sustainability Measurement and Reporting System (SMRS) to identify and communicate the key environmental and social issues associated with consumer products. Ultimately, this information will increase economic, environmental and social sustainability in consumer product supply chains.
The Sustainability Consortium, named one of Scientific American’s Top 10 World Changing Ideas for 2012, is a partnership between the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., and Arizona State University in Tempe, Az.
As a popular issue in the public domain, animal welfare is a fast growing area of interest for corporate sustainability reporting. Numerous sectors have included products where animal welfare concerns arise including agricultural products, chemical-based products, pharmaceuticals and forest-based products.
In addition to laboratory animal welfare, the project will enable the development of other areas of animal welfare issues including agriculture and wildlife.
The Sustainability Consortium is jointly administered by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University and has offices in The Netherlands. The Consortium currently has over 100 corporate, academic and NGO member organizations worldwide.
The project is one of 26 being completed by Clinton School students across the state of Arkansas. The students are in their second year of classes in the school’s Master of Public Service degree program.
About The Sustainability Consortium
The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is an organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. They develop transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives.
More information about The Sustainability Consortium is available at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org
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