Join the Race to Zero before 10th November 2025

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Universities & Colleges of the world:

sign up to the Race to Zero,

a global initiative for a 

Zero Carbon World

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Powered by the UN Environment Programme, EAUC & Second Nature - Race to Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and action in the education sector

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Together we can make an impact

 

“Every university and college should show leadership and sign up to the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges” Alok Sharma, COP26 President

 

Join us today

Institutions involved

1244

Cop 30

10.11.2025

Institutions committed

576

Students represented

11,814,613

Days until Cop 30

94

We need you to commit now!

Why we need University and College support

Nigar Arpadarai

Nigar Arpadarai

High-Level Climate Champion of Azerbaijan for COP29

Dan Ioschpe

Dan Ioschpe

High-Level Climate Champion of Brazil for COP30

How it works

Refer to this short video for an overview of the campaign criteria.  

Pledge >

Pledge at head-of-organisation level to reach (net) zero GHGs as soon as possible, and by mid-century at the latest, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5C. Set an interim target to achieve in the next decade, which reflects maximum effort towards or beyond a fair share of the 50% global reduction in CO2 by 2030 identified in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C. You have one year after you sign to set your targets. 

Plan >

Within 12 months of joining explain what actions will be taken toward achieving both interim and longer-term pledges, especially in the short-to-medium term. You have one year after you sign to set your action plan. 

Refer to the full details on the refined criteria, and accompanying interpretation guide and language guide. It is expected that universities and colleges include scope 3 emissions as the same as businesses do. 

Proceed >

Take immediate action toward achieving (net) zero, consistent with delivering interim targets specified. You have one year after you sign to set your targets. 

The Race to Zero criteria is set by an Expert Peer Review Group, which comprises scientific and technical experts from around the world.

Publish >

Commit to report publicly both progress against interim and long-term targets, as well as the actions being taken, at least annually. You have one year after you sign to develop your annual report. 

Persuade >

Persuade, the 5th P of the Campaign was introduced in recognition of the importance of aligning each actor’s influencing capacities with their net zero commitments. Please refer to page 38 and 39 of the 5th P Handbook to learn more about the important role that education organisations can play in influencing wider society to achieve net zero. 

Making an Impact

You

Decide it's time universities and colleges take action now.

Sign up and say that your institution wants to be zero carbon. Once signed you have up to one year to set your target and agree your action plan.

Tell us what actions your institution is already taking and what you plan to do next.

We

Show commitment - we will send you your Race to Zero certificate so you can show that your university or college is leading the way in the climate crisis.

Keep you updated with ideas and projects to reduce your carbon even further. 

Together

We all unite to represent the voice of universities and colleges to global governments.

We show global governments that there is a vital need for their support each year at COP to make every university & college zero carbon by 2030.

Current Signatories

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi
Polytechnique Montreal
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Università degli Studi di Padova
Cegep de Sherbrooke
New City College
Grenoble INP
Universidad de Magallanes
Instituto Superior Técnico
Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP)
University of the Basque Country
Almo Collegio Borromeo
Universidad Católica de Ávila
University of Genoa
Universidad de Morón
Concordia University
Universidad de Córdoba
University of Helsinki
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra/IPC
Universidad Austral
Shetland UHI
Université de Sherbrooke
Royal Agricultural Univeristy
Edinburgh Napier University
Nelson & Colne College
University of Mondragon
Université du Québec à Montréal
University of Bath
Cardiff University
University of Turku
Universidad de Murcia
Universidad de Navarra
Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier
Mahidol University
University of Portsmouth
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Université de Sousse
CATIE
Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille
Stockholm University
UniLaSalle
Politecnico di Torino
West Lothian College
Universidad Veracruzana
Goldsmiths, University of London
University of Exeter
The University of Nottingham
Selkirk College
Universidad José Antonio Páez
Universidad Metropolitana de Honduras
Aalto University Student Union
Universidad de La Frontera
University of Montreal
Universidad de Cádiz
Swinburne University of Technology
Universidad San Jorge
Royal Veterinary College
Emlyon Business School
Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú
Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE)
Bayero University Kano
Universidad de Valladolid
O.P. Jindal Global University
South Lanarkshire College
Universidad Nacional de Ciencias Forestales
Universidad de La Laguna
Girne American University
State University of Campinas - Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp Brazil
Universidad Técnica Nacional
Higher Colleges of Technology
Karolinska Institutet
University Jaume I of Castello
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Universidad Biblica de las Americas
University of the West of England  Bristol
University of Guadalajara
University of Cambridge
University of Kabul
City College Norwich
Aalto University
University of Worcester
The University of Surrey