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

1238

Cop 30

10.11.2025

Institutions committed

575

Students represented

11,812,432

Days until Cop 30

152

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

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

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