The Australian National University (ANU) has joined a leading coalition of cities, regions, businesses, investors, universities and further education institutions around the world who have committed to meeting the Paris climate goals, by joining the global Race to Zero Climate Campaign.

An initiative of the United Nations, Race to Zero Climate sees 733 cities, 31 regions, 3,067 businesses, and over 700 Higher Education Institutions join together to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonised economy, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

ANU became one of the first universities in the world to commit to reducing greenhouse emissions to below zero by 2030 when it launched its own Below Zero initiative earlier this year.

“At ANU, we have set ourselves ambitious targets that go beyond those outlined in the Paris agreement, committing to tackle the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the University’s activities,” says Professor Mark Howden, Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions (ICEDS).

“The Race to Zero Climate Campaign is an opportunity to collaborate with other institutions and share what we have learnt within the coalition and beyond, to ensure that the world is transitioning to a low emissions future in the most efficient and timely way possible.”

ANU will report publicly on both shorter and longer-term targets that are set to achieve its emissions reduction goals. These include taking immediate action to deliver on the University’s Below Zero promise, linking this with research and teaching, as well as campus and community outreach programs.

“We are working to ensure that we are in the best position possible to deal with the many challenges that climate change presents, both now and into the future, and Race to Zero calls on governments around the world to do the same,” concluded Professor Howden.