Statement for a Responsible Space Sector

No single agency, country or company can make space more sustainable on its own. The challenges — climate impact, orbital debris, resource use, responsible supply chains — cut across borders, sectors and budgets. Meeting them takes coordinated action.

That is the thinking behind the Statement for a Responsible Space Sector, first adopted on 21 November 2022 at the margins of ESA's Council meeting at Ministerial Level in Paris. The statement is a shared commitment among more than 100 signatories — agencies, industry players and other space-sector organisations — to align around common principles for the sustainable development of activities on Earth, in Earth's orbit, and on the Moon and beyond.

Its strength comes from the breadth of organisations that have chosen to put their name to it. ESA is a signatory, and helped initiate the statement.

The purpose of the statement is to enhance the involvement of both public and industrial stakeholders, fostering a more inclusive approach to a sustainable space sector.

The statement and the resulting collaboration aim to mobilise the space sector towards sustainability, ensuring that the principles and values outlined in the statement guide the actions and activities of the signatories. This, in turn, contributes and leads to the sustainable development of society while safeguarding the natural environment, life on Earth, and the space environment.

Within the framework of the statement, the signatories commit to pursuing and strengthening coordinated efforts in areas of common interest aimed at preserving life, resources, humankind and society. Over time, several of these priorities have been addressed through dedicated activities and working groups, notably on decarbonisation of the space sector, responsible procurement, and life-cycle assessment and ecodesign for space systems, which have delivered valuable outcomes.

While these topics remain fundamental, additional challenges continue to emerge. The statement provides a lasting and flexible framework to further foster cooperation among space sector actors on both existing and emerging topics.

Sustainability is not a fixed checklist. New questions keep emerging — around launch emissions, atmospheric impacts, in-orbit servicing, and the long-term governance of space resources — and the statement is built to accommodate them. It provides a stable but flexible framework that allows signatories to take on new priorities as the science, the technology and the public expectations evolve.

Do you want to know more about the statement and become a signatory? Visit the dedicated website and contact esa.sustainability@esa.int