CERN’s 4th Environment Report (2023–2024) – the most recent to date – is a powerful reminder that big science and sustainable science can, and must, go hand in hand. The Organization’s commitments up to the end of 2030 span several domains, including energy, emissions, water, biodiversity, waste, ionising radiation, noise and hazardous substances.
Highlights include:
- Energy: CERN has committed to capping electricity consumption at 1.5 TWh/year during Run 4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – even as physics output increases significantly. The Laboratory earned the ISO 50001 energy management certification in 2023, renewed in 2026.
- Emissions: a 50% reduction in direct CO₂-equivalent emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, including a 60% cut in gas consumption.
- Water: CERN used just 2895 megalitres (ML) in 2024 – well below the target ceiling of 3600 ML, despite growing cooling demands.
CERN’s next report, spanning 2025–2026 will expand in scope to become a full sustainability report, including social and governance pillars in addition to the environment.
The Organization aspires to be a role model for sustainable research globally, and with a full sustainability report on the horizon, that ambition is only deepening.
Curiosity about the Universe and care for our planet go hand in hand: on this World Environment Day, that’s a model worth celebrating, and replicating.
Find out more: https://environmentreports.web.cern.ch/environment-report-2023-2024/