King’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan, developed by the university’s Climate & Sustainability team in consultation with students, staff, alumni and members of King’s Climate Action Network (King’s CAN), has now been published. The action plan outlines 13 key impact areas to guide the university’s approach to sustainability and climate change, informed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Key deliverables include:
- At least a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, across energy use, business travel, our supply chain, commuting and waste
- Ensuring sustainability and climate education is embedded into all King’s degree programmes by 2026
- A four-fold increase in climate and sustainability research activity by 2029
- Increasing investments with socially responsible benefits to 40% by 2025
- Development of guidance on internal carbon pricing, to ensure we can better align financial decision-making criteria with King’s climate action goals
The publication of the action plan coincides with the start of King’s Climate & Sustainability Month which runs throughout February. It features ambitious targets to reduce emissions from our buildings so we can deliver the 40-50% reduction needed by 2030 to help limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The plan prioritises absolute reduction of carbon emissions over offsetting, which compensates for emissions by funding equivalent carbon dioxide savings elsewhere, and carbon removals, which includes natural strategies like tree restoration and agricultural soil management.
That is why we have now set a 2030 net zero target to give us more time to focus and invest in direct emissions reductions on our estate and in our operations.
Find out more here (or on the external page here).
