Sustainable Campus

Climate Statement

Climate Emergency Statement

Newcastle University is committed to reducing its environmental impact.

Working towards net zero

Newcastle University announced in April 2021 that the net-zero target has been brought forward by a decade following consideration by Council and Executive Board. This target change commits the University to accelerating the de-carbonisation of its activities, with the aim of achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

Have a look at our Carbon section to find out more.

Climate Emergency Statement

At Newcastle University’s Environment and Sustainability Committee meeting on 10 April 2019, a climate emergency statement was released showing our commitment to reducing the university’s environmental impact:

“We recognise the urgency of international environmental issues including climate change and biodiversity loss. Preparing our students with the skills and knowledge to deal with the unprecedented crises is fundamental to our purpose as a university. Through research and education we aim to develop transformative solutions to the sustainability challenges facing the natural world and the human societies which rely on it.

We are proud of the progress we have made, over many years of work, in improving sustainability at Newcastle University. However, we know we need to go further. We therefore commit to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in line with the central aim of the Paris Agreement; to keep a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This means further substantial progress in the de-carbonisation of our activities and we will work together with our staff and students, and with partners in the city, region and across civil society with the aim of achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2040.”

Newcastle University has signalled its commitment to climate change action by joining a number of organisations in the UK and all over the world to declare a climate emergency.

Flooding at Newcastle University