Net Zero & Carbon

The 2025 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP-30 for short) taken place in Belém, Pará, Brazil from 10 to 21 November 2025. This global gathering at the heart of the Amazonian rainforest has unsurprisingly put climate finance for protecting forests high on the agenda.

The OU was once again a proud supporter of Net Zero Week in July, and this year hosted a webinar titled Community Engagement and Net Zero on 8 July.

In the latest Go Green session hosted by The Open University in Ireland, Kevin Donnelly, Information and Statistics Officer, explored practical ways to reduce our digital carbon footprint. From evaluating internet usage to rethinking how we stream video content, Kevin shared actionable tips to help us live more sustainably in the digital world.

In this engaging session, we explore Giki, the fun and interactive carbon calculator designed to help individuals understand their personal carbon footprint. Whether you're just starting your sustainability journey or looking to deepen your impact, Giki offers a simple way to measure your lifestyle’s environmental impact and take meaningful steps to reduce it.

What You’ll Learn:

In this bitesize Go Green workshop, Helen Chambers from Giki joined us to demystify the carbon calculator and show how small, achievable changes can make a big impact. Through an engaging and practical session, Helen explained how the tool works, how it helps individuals understand their personal carbon footprint, and how to set realistic goals to reduce it.

The OU was once again a proud sponsor of Net Zero Week (6-12 July) and this year hosted an event entitled ‘Driving change: Imagining a different transport future’.  The event saw Dr Miguel Valdez, joined by Professor Steven Potter and Dr Öznur Yurt, alongside two OU alumni Chinedu Nevo and Dr Paul Hodgson.

Ramla Khan, a PhD student in The Open University’s School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences recently wrote for Climate Perspectives magazine.

In the article Ramla discusses her research ‘Investigating the effects of temperature extremes on urban trees’. Her work is part of The Open University's mission to deliver impact-driven research to ensure a sustainable planet.

The Open University is an official sponsor of Green Infrastructure Week which was held in November 2023. This year the OU held an event that asked 'What would it take for hydrogen to have a place in the UK’s net zero energy future?'

The Open University is an official partner of Net Zero Week and hosted an event on ‘Net Zero Skills and the Role of Universities’ in July 2023.

In this month's workshop, Ann Cummings (Senior Project Manager) talks about the risks that our planet faces as a result of our changing climate and how we tackle these issues. We listened to the ways our staff are adapting to extreme weather at home, in their communities and in the workplace. 

Watch the full video here: