Valerie S. Lang | Searcharxiv

arXiv2025

Know your footprint -- Evaluation of the professional carbon footprint for individual researchers in high energy physics and related fields

As the climate crisis intensifies, understanding the environmental impact of professional activities is paramount, especially in sectors with historically significant resource utilisation. This includes High Energy Physics (HEP) and related fields, which investigate the fundamental laws of our universe. As members of the young High Energy Physicists (yHEP) association, we investigate the CO$_2$-equivalent emissions generated by HEP-related research on a personalised per-researcher level, for four distinct categories: Experiments, tied to collaborations with substantial infrastructure; Institutional, representing the resource consumption of research institutes and universities; Computing, focussing on simulations and data analysis; and Travel, covering professional trips to conferences, etc. The findings are integrated into a tool for self-evaluation, the Know-your-footprint (Kyf) calculator, allowing the assessment of the personal and professional footprint and optionally sharing the data with the yHEP association. The study aims to heighten awareness, foster sustainability, and inspire the community to adopt more environmentally responsible research practices urgently.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2025

Input to European Strategy Update for Particle Physics: Sustainability

Human activity continues to have an enormous negative impact on the ability of the planet to sustain human and other forms of life. Six out of the nine planetary boundaries have been crossed, a seventh is close to threshold. Prominent manifestations of this development are climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions, as well as loss of biodiversity. In recognition of the urgency of these problems, several international agreements have been ratified to achieve net-zero emissions and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Significant reductions in emissions are required by 2030 to meet international climate targets. The field of particle physics has an obligation and an opportunity to contribute to such mitigation efforts and to avoid causing further harm. This document urges the European Strategy Update in Particle Physics to set a clear and bold mandate for embedding environmental sustainability throughout the future scientific programme, and advocates for a series of actions that will enable this.

physics.soc-ph↗