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

86

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

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