Given the pressing need for global action on climate change, the astronomical community has a responsibility to contribute meaningfully to these efforts. We must find a new equilibrium between our research and collaborative needs, all while innovating to reduce our collective carbon footprint. It's time to move from acknowledging the problem to actively engaging in open dialogue and exploring viable mitigation strategies. This special session will address structural issues in the organisation of the astronomical community in Europe, and foster open discussion. We propose a mix of invited, contributed talks, and panel discussions around key topics such as travel, computing, and facilities. Our goal is to create a collaborative environment where we can stay informed about advances in sustainable practices, share insights, challenges, and potential solutions.

Programme

The programme of Special Session 40 (Next steps towards greener astronomy) is expected to comprise two main blocks. The first will consist of invited and contributed talks addressing major drivers of astronomy's environmental footprint, including the carbon cost of astrophysical research, the efficiency of numerical codes, the rapid uptake of AI and language models, and the increasing demand for raw materials linked to computing and instrumentation. The second block will focus on artificial intelligence through an interactive panel bringing together experts from the energy and AI communities, potentially complemented by a practical workshop on local AI models and best practices. Contributions proposing additional relevant topics to SS40 are also very welcome.

Invited speakers

Scientific organisers

The EAS Sustainability Advisory Commitee:

• Fionagh Thomson (Durham University, UK)
• Marta González (Universidad Internacional Valenciana, Spain)
• Pat Roche (University of Oxford, UK)
• Susanne Pfalzner (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany)
• Floris van der Tak (SRON, Netherlands)
• Zuzanna Kocjan (University of Maryland, USA)
• Ric Davies (Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics, Germany)
• Anders Jerkstrand (Stockholm University, Sweden)
• Quentin Noraz (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Juan Carlos Suárez (Universidad de Granada, Spain)

Contact

sustainability-eas @ unige.ch