Major European and American environmental research centers are committed to climate

Ahead of COP26, directors of major European and American think tanks recall the commitment of basic research to finding solutions to the climate crisis. Among the institutions involved are the European Synchrotron and the Laue Langevin Institute in Grenoble.

Leaders of major European and American science laboratories who met by video conference ahead of COP26 in Glasgow expressed the scientists’ commitment to finding solutions to climate change. The meeting brought together the Eiroforum, which includes the eight largest intergovernmental scientific research organizations in Europe⁽¹⁾ and the NLDC which includes the directors of the seventeen largest laboratories of the US Department of Energy (DOE)⁽²⁾.

The managers of these scientific institutions share the same values ​​and are convinced that science performs best when it is based on international cooperation. The directors of Eiroforum and NLDC signed a joint statement to confirm “their joint commitment to mobilizing science to serve a sustainable and resilient society and the global economy”They confirmed their intention to intensify “Their Scientific Collaboration on Carbon Energy and Climate Change.”

They intend to participate Best practices for improving the sustainability and carbon footprint of major science facilities in Europe and the United States ” And “Sharing knowledge with the general public on clean energy and climate change.”

Working together to tackle the climate crisis

“We must work together to address the complex and urgent climate crisis we are already experiencing in the world, but also to reduce the carbon footprint of our research activities.” The directors mentioned it Throughout history, basic research has been the source of major scientific breakthroughs, leading to paradigm shifts that have had a profound impact on our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic has put science first. Excellent scientific knowledge, exceptional global scientific mobilization and international cooperation have made it possible to accelerate the development of vaccines, an essential response to the pandemic. With regard to a complex and global issue such as climate change, science also plays a major role, particularly in large international science facilities or large sciences, where we are constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge and technology to the limit. Excellence and creativity. »

1. Cern, EMBL, Esa, Eso, ESRF Synchrotron, Eurofusion, European XFEL, Laue Langevin Institute
2. Ames, Argonne, Brookhaven, Fermi, Idaho, Jefferson, Los Alamos, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Nettle, Enreal, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, PPPL, Slack, Sandia, Savannah River