How the French Astronomy and Astrophysics community plans to cope with the necessity to reduce the environmental impacts of its activities

by Sylvain Bontemps(Astrophysics Laboratory of Bordeaux)
Wednesday, 4th December 2024

 

Abstract I will present the work which has been done during the last year among the french community and by a dedicated working group to evaluate the efforts so far, the scenario to follow and the recommandations to reduce the environnemental impact of the french activities in astrophysics. This working group has been set to prepare the so-called "prospective exercise" of the CNRS, INSU (CNRS, National Institute for Sciences of Universe) made in 2024 and for the next 5 years. I will expose the way the group has been working to inventory the initiatives already in actions in french laboratories, to survey the different actors (researchers, support staff, directions of laboratories, ...) on their level of acceptance to adopt more frugal activities, and to propose scenarii of reduction of carbon footprints while keeping the same level of scientific results and successes. I will in particular address the crucial and difficult point of large observational facilities both on ground and from space which represent more than 2/3 of the carbon footprint of our activities.