CERN Unveils Ambitious Environmental Objectives for 2030, Focused on Sustainability and Emissions Reduction

CERN Unveils Ambitious Environmental Objectives for 2030, Focused on Sustainability and Emissions Reduction

(IN BRIEF) In celebration of World Environment Day, CERN has announced its updated environmental objectives for 2030, reflecting its ongoing commitment to sustainable research. These new goals focus on nine key environmental areas, including energy, emissions reduction, water management, biodiversity, waste recovery, and noise control. With ambitious targets, CERN aims to minimize its environmental footprint and become a role model for sustainable scientific research. The next long shutdown in 2026 will be pivotal for achieving these goals, with significant projects targeting emissions reduction.

(PRESS RELEASE) GENEVA, 5-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, CERN has unveiled its updated environmental objectives for 2030, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible research. These new goals are aligned with CERN’s long-term strategic vision, the evolving needs of particle physics research, and the increasing global expectations for sustainability.

Building on the original environmental objectives set out in CERN’s first Environment Report (2017–2018), the revised goals cover nine key environmental domains: energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, biodiversity, non-hazardous waste, radioactive waste, ionising radiation, noise, and hazardous substances.

Key highlights include:

• Limiting electricity consumption to 1.5 TWh/year during Run 4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), despite anticipated increases in physics output.
• A 50% reduction in direct CO₂-equivalent emissions compared to 2018 levels, achieved through a 60% reduction in gas consumption.
• Enhancing CERN’s effluent water quality, increasing on-site water retention capacity, and reducing water consumption, while meeting growing cooling water demands.
• Expanding biodiversity at CERN sites by improving local ecosystems and addressing urban heat islands, especially in areas where nighttime temperatures are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.
• Boosting non-hazardous waste recovery, including the reuse and recycling of materials, with a goal to reduce “household waste” by 5% per person.
• Strengthening noise control measures, minimizing the impact of hazardous substances, and limiting the production of radioactive waste.

CERN’s key environmental objectives for 2030. (Image: CERN)

These updated objectives were developed through an extensive, collaborative process by CERN’s Environmental Protection Steering Board (CEPS) and approved by CERN’s Enlarged Directorate in 2024. They reflect CERN’s vision to be a leader in sustainable research practices, integrating environmental responsibility into all aspects of its operations, from scientific research to site management. The next major milestone will be the long shutdown (LS3) of CERN’s accelerators, scheduled for mid-2026, which will enable the completion of several key projects aimed at reducing emissions. The Organization’s fourth environmental report, due at the end of 2025, will outline the progress made during the 2023–2024 period.

For more information about CERN’s environmental commitments, visit the dedicated webpage on Environmentally Responsible Research at CERN.

Media Contact:

Tel: +41 (0) 22 767 34 32 or +41 (0) 22 767 21 41
Email: press.office@cern.ch

SOURCE: CERN