The CHEOPS Green Committee was established in March 2023 after a series of informal discussions and a presentation by Yann Alibert at a CHEOPS meeting. Yann’s presentation focused on quantifying the environmental impact of the CHEOPS meetings, as well as the preparation, construction, and operation of the CHEOPS telescope. Inspired by this, several members initiated the formation of a dedicated task force to address these issues. Today, the task force comprises around 25 members from a collaboration of approximately 130 scientists. The primary focus of this task force is exploring ways to make the CHEOPS meetings more sustainable. This includes strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of travel, adopting environmentally conscious practices at meeting venues – such as sustainable catering and promoting public transport – and staying informed on the latest research in the field. CHEOPS meetings occur quarterly, alternating between hybrid and fully online formats. The task force thus meet up at least prior to each consortium meeting to share updates, discuss ideas, and present proposals. Although the group is still in its early stages, with much to explore and implement, there is strong interest and enthusiasm across the collaboration.

Giovanni Bruno and Thomas G. Wilson from the CHEOPS consortium presented the progress and current activities at the last region europe meeting on November 26th.