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

1247

Cop 30

10.11.2025

Institutions committed

578

Students represented

11,826,115

Days until Cop 30

25

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

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