ENSURE

Abstract

The digital transformation of science depends on large-scale Research Infrastructures (RIs) that generate, process, and store unprecedented volumes of data. Their environmental footprint is growing rapidly, raising serious concerns about energy and water use, carbon emissions, and long-term sustainability. While scientific computing has delivered extraordinary advances, the infrastructure underpinning it remains largely unconstrained in its environmental impact, and the field still lacks the tools, standards, and frameworks needed to drive measurable change at scale.

ENSURE’s overarching objective is to develop and validate a comprehensive set of tools, reference datasets, and technologies, including a management and certification programme, that enables Research Infrastructures to measure, model, monitor, and moderate the environmental impact of their digital activities. This 4M cycle forms the operational backbone of the project. The consortium, coordinated by EGI, unites major ESFRI Landmarks including HL-LHC, SKA, and European XFEL, life science communities including WeNMR and VIP, and leading research institutes including CERN, CNRS, and the University of Glasgow. Building on the foundations of the GreenDIGIT project coordinated by UvA, ENSURE extends these developments with new scientific tools, prototype implementations, and evaluation frameworks aimed at driving systemic sustainability improvements across European research infrastructure.