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

1256

Cop 30

10.11.2025

Institutions committed

580

Students represented

11,866,759

Days until Cop 30

21

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

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