City commits to going net zero carbon by 2040

Since 2005/06 we have reduced our carbon emissions by 53%, but this is no longer enough.

We recognise the increasing gravity of the climate emergency and commit to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2040, at the latest.

This will allow City to support the Government’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and recent commitments by London and Islington to do so by 2030.

“Net zero” means that the total emissions we release are equal to or less than the emissions we remove from the environment. To achieve our net zero target, the Sustainability team are currently working on a Climate Change Adaptation Plan which will encompass all of the University’s activities, including procurement and travel. These emissions can equate to up to 70% of an organisations CO₂ emissions but as yet there has been no requirement to measure or report on them. City will need to take bold steps to address these emissions but we are confident that we can achieve the systemic change necessary to see this result.

The Climate Change Adaptation Plan will be published in Spring 2020 after the team have consulted with a number of groups across the University. To find out more email sustainable_city@city.ac.uk