Marking five years since its inception, Oxford Net Zero hosted an anniversary showcase on 11th February at Worcester College’s Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre.
Founded in 2021, Oxford Net Zero is an interdisciplinary research initiative at the University that brings together academics from ten departments to advance net zero research. Net zero refers to “a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere”.
The showcase highlighted what Oxford Net Zero describes as “cutting-edge research on carbon storage, nature, the fossil fuel sector, a fair transition in the global South, and more”. The event featured two panel discussions – on the concept of net zero and on what universities can do to mitigate climate change – and talks by Oxford Net Zero’s six fellows.
Irene Tracey, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, also made remarks at the event. According to the initiative’s website, she reflected on how Oxford Net Zero has “really moved at pace”, noting it has grown substantially and raised millions in additional funding since 2021.
Over the past five years, the initiative’s notable accomplishments include a “Net Zero Tracker” that monitors net-zero targets for companies, cities, and countries worldwide. In 2020, Oxford Net Zero also helped author the Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting Principles, a resource to guide credible net-zero commitments by governments, cities, and companies.
