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CERN Environment Report 2021-2022
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Statement of use: CERN has reported in accordance with the GRI standards for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022

Standards and Disclosures Title Chapter & information | Reason for omission UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

GRI 1: FOUNDATION 2021

GRI 2: GENERAL DISCLOSURES 2021
The organisation and its reporting practices
2-1 Organizational details About CERN  
2-2 Entities included in the organization's sustainability reporting Management approach  
2-3 Reporting period, frequency and contact point CERN publishes biennial environment reports. This report covers the period 2021-2022 and was published on DATE. Any questions can be sent to environment.report@cern.ch.  
2-4 Restatements of information Management approach  
2-5 External assurance No external assurance was sought for this report. However, Host State authorities carry out independent measurements concerning CERN’s water releases, ionising radiation and noise emissions.  
Activities and workers
2-6 Activities, value chain and other business relationships About CERN, Management approach  
2-7 Employees This information is published in CERN's Annual Personnel Statistics. The Statistics for 2021 can be found here, and those for 2022 can be found here. SDG 8, SDG 10
2-8 Workers who are not employees See above (2-7). SDG 8
Governance
2-9 Governance structure and composition About CERN SDG 5, SDG 16
2-10 Nomination and selection of the highest governance body Each Member State appoints their own delegates, and their credentials must be issued to the Secretary of the Council, as stated in the Rules of Procedure of the CERN Council which can be found here. SDG 5, SDG 16
2-11 Chair of the highest governance body About CERN SDG 16
2-12 Role of the highest governance body in overseeing the management of impacts

Management approach

A representative sample of the CERN Council, CERN's highest governing body are among the stakeholders interviewed in the materiality assessment process to identify environmental impacts.

The roles of Council members are defined in the Convention for the establishment of a European Organization for Nuclear Research, which can be found here.

 SDG 16
2-13 Delegation of responsibility for managing impacts Management approach  
2-14 Role of the highest governance body in sustainability reporting See above (2-12)  
2-15 Conflicts of interest CERN's Conflict of Interest Policy can be found here. SDG 16
2-16 Communication of critical concerns Management approach  
2-17 Collective knowledge of the highest governance body While no formal sustainability training programme is in place for Council delegates, the biennial environment reports are formally presented to Council and relevant subordinate bodies to raise awareness, stimulate discussion and gather feedback. Further, a representative sample of Council delegates are among the stakeholders interviewed as part of the materiality assessment.  
2-18 Evaluation of the performance of the highest governance body This is governed by the Convention for the Establishment of a European Organization for Nuclear Research, which can be found here.  
2-19 Remuneration policies CERN's renumeration policy is detailed in Chapter V of the Staff Rules and Regulations which can be found on page 41 here (not publicly available).  
2-20 Process to determine remuneration See above (2-19).  
2-21 Annual total compensation ratio

The highest paid individual of the Organization is the Director-General.

  • Ratio of annual total compensation for the highest paid individual / median of the total compensation of all employees (CERN 'Staff members', except highest) = 2.8
  • Ratio of the percentage increase in total annual compensation for the highest paid individual / median of the percentage increase of total compensation of all employees (CERN 'Staff members', except highest) = 0.2.

Note 1: total compensation (average 2021–2022) includes basic salary, responsibility award, performance payment. Excluded are payments for shift work and overtime.

Note 2: Employed Members of the Personnel (MPE) include Staff members and Graduates. The range from the entry level salaries of CERN Employed members of the Personnel (graduate) to the highest Staff grade according to the CERN Salary grid (basic salary) is a factor of about 6. 

  
Strategy, policies and practices
2-22 Statement on sustainable development strategy Foreword, Management approach  
2-23 Policy commitments This information can be found here. SDG 16
2-24 Embedding policy commitments About CERN  
2-25 Processes to remediate negative impacts About CERN, Water and effluents, Noise, Environmental compliance and management of hazardous substances.  
2-26 Mechanisms for seeking advice and raising concerns See above (2-23) SDG 16
2-27 Compliance with laws and regulations Environmental compliance and management of hazardous substances  
2-28 Membership associations

About CERN

More information can be found here.

  
Stakeholder engagement
2-29 Approach to stakeholder engagement Management approach  
2-30 Collective bargaining agreements

The Staff Association is the only statutory organ for personnel representation. Its existence is ratified by Chapter VII of the Staff Rules and Regulations:

“Within the framework of the present Rules, and independently of the normal hierarchical channels, the relations between the Director-General of the Organization and the members of the personnel shall be either direct with the individual or on a collective basis with the Staff Association as intermediary.”

The CERN Staff Association represents the entire personnel on the Tripartite Employment Conditions Forum (TREF). Besides the Staff Association, TREF is composed of representatives of the Member States and the Management. TREF examines the conditions of pay and employment at CERN and its recommendations, if adopted by the Council, apply to all personnel. 

Information about the Staff Association's mission and mandate can be found here.

 SDG 8

GRI 3: MATERIAL TOPICS 2021
3-1 Process to determine material topics Management approach  
3-2 List of material topics Management approach  

MATERIALS

GRI 301: 2016 MATERIALS
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics

N/A | Information incomplete. See Management approach.

Given the complexity in tracing the material through its whole life cycle, a in-depth analysis will be undertaken to establish a reliable way in which to report on this topic.

 SDG 8
301-1 Materials used by weight or volume N/A | Information incomplete. See Management approach. Weight/volume data unavailable for the reporting period. SDG 8

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

GRI 302: 2016 ENERGY
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Energy  
302-1 Energy consumption within the organisation Energy SDG 7, SDG 12, SDG 13
302-3 Energy intensity Energy SDG 7, SDG 12, SDG 13
302-4 Reduction of energy consumption Energy SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 12, SDG 13

WATER CONSUMPTION AND EFFLUENT QUALITY

GRI 303: 2018 WATER AND EFFLUENTS
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Water and effluents  
303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource Water and effluents SDG 6, SDG 12
303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts Water and effluents SDG 6
303-3 Water withdrawal  Water and effluents SDG 6
303-4 Water discharge Water and effluents SDG 6
303-5 Water consumption Water and effluents SDG 6

NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY

GRI 304: 2016 BIODIVERSITY
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Biodiversity, land use and landscape change  
304-2 Significant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity Biodiversity, land use and landscape change SDG 6, SDG 14, 
SDG 15

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

GRI 305: 2016 EMISSIONS
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Emissions  
305-1 Direct (scope 1) GHG emissions Emissions SDG 3, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15
305-2 Energy indirect (scope 2) GHG emissions Emissions SDG 3, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15
305-3 Other indirect (scope 3) GHG emissions Emissions SDG 3, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15

CONVENTIONAL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE

GRI 306: 2020 WASTE
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Waste  
306-1 Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts Waste SDG 3, SDG 6, SDG 11, SDG 12
306-2 Management of significant waste-related impacts Waste SDG 3, SDG 6, 
SDG 8, SDG 11, 
SDG 12
306-4 Waste diverted from disposal Waste SDG 3, SDG 11, SDG 12
306-5 Waste directed to disposal Waste SDG 3, SDG 11, SDG 12

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PROCUREMENT

GRI 308: 2016 SUPPLIER ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Emissions  
308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken Emissions  

CERN-SPECIFIC

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Environmental compliance and management of hazardous substances  

IONISING RADIATION
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Ionising radiation  

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Knowledge and technology for the environment  

LAND USE AND LANDSCAPE CHANGE
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Biodiversity, land use and landscape change  

MOBILITY
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Emissions  

NOISE
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Noise  

PREVENTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCIDENTS
GRI 3-3 Management of material topics Environmental compliance and management of hazardous substances  

 

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