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

Lang, Valerie; Bhalla, Naman Kumar; Gurdasani, Simran; Niknejadi, Pardis

Preprint

PUBDB-2025-00905

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

Lang, V. (Corresponding author)Extern* ; Bhalla, N. K.Extern* ; Gurdasani, S.Extern*DESY* ; Niknejadi, P.DESY*

2025

[10.3204/PUBDB-2025-00905]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.3204/PUBDB-2025-00905

Report No.: arXiv:2403.03308

Abstract: Understanding the environmental impact of professional activities is becoming paramount in current times, especially within sectors that historically have had significant resource utilisation, such as High Energy Physics (HEP) and related fields. The young High Energy Physicists (yHEP) association launched the Know your footprint (Kyf) campaign to evaluate the CO$_\text{2}$-equivalent emissions generated by HEP-related research. This study delves into the carbon footprints associated with four distinct categories: Experiments, tied to extensive collaborations with substantial infrastructure; Institutional, representing the resource consumption of research institutes and universities; Computing, focusing on simulations and data analysis; and Travel, covering professional trips such as to conferences, meetings, and workshops. The findings in this assessment are integrated into a tool for self-evaluation, the Know-your-footprint (Kyf) calculator, which allows colleagues to assess their personal and professional footprint, and optionally share their data with the yHEP association. The aim of the Kyf campaign is to heighten awareness, foster sustainability, and inspire the community to adopt more environmentally-responsible research methodologies.

Note: 16 pages, 5 figures

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