Oxford Net Zero

For your weekend reading!

Sustainability isn’t a trend. It’s a timeless value. 🌍✨ Respect, empathy, integrity, responsibility🦖and yes, sustainability🍎are values that never go out of style. But in a world shaped by headlines and hashtags, sometimes we forget that real change takes time, consistency, and systems that last. As we launch the 3rd round of the Global Youth Climate Training (GYCT), I’ve been reflecting on the bigger picture. 👉🏽 This year, we received 7,000+ applications from 173+ countries. That’s still massive🐳especially considering that GYCT has never invested in paid advertising. Our reach has been 100% organic. Why? Because the hunger is real. The youth want tools to change the world, not just likes. Still, the number is lower than last year. Does that mean climate is losing attention? Are we less “trendy”? Here’s the truth: sustainability was never meant to be a trend. 📚 What we’re seeing is something deeper. Young people from conflict zones still push forward🕊️signing up to learn, to understand policy, and to hold decision-makers accountable. The world isn't tuning out. It's preparing. But there's a missing link: Youth train, gain skills, build knowledge… and then? Many hit a wall. No funding. No opportunities. No platforms to apply what they’ve learned. The result? Burnout. And slowly, the system reabsorbs them. 🛠️ That’s what we need to change. At GYC, alongside Oxford Net Zero and Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford, we’ve received over 27,000 applications since 2023. That’s not just a number. It’s a call to build better structures. That’s why The Global Youth Coalition created the Avocado Framework🥑to link youth-led action with global priorities like the Clean Energy Transition, Loss & Damage Fund, and Nature-Based Solutions. And that’s why we’re launching OMW 20+10, our cross-Atlantic sailing journey to COP30⛵powered by wind, shaped by justice, and led by the changemakers this world is waiting for. theglobalyouth.co/omw 🌱 LEARNING POINT: Sustainability is not a buzzword. It’s a systems challenge. To solve it, we need more than awareness🌊we need implementation pathways backed by trust, intergenerational collaboration, and policy literacy. So here’s the invitation: Let’s stop treating sustainability like a trend to post about, and start treating it like the strategy to live by. 💬 Build capacity. 💬 Trust your network. 💬 Don’t just demand🦋design. 💬 Sustainability is a value. Let’s protect it. The world’s youth are not giving up. Neither are we. Applications for GYCT are CLOSE now. The movement sails forward. 🌊 #GYC #GYCT #ClimateEducation #AvocadoFramework #OMW20plus10 #Sustainability #YouthVoices #PolicyChange #SDG4 #GreenJobs #ClimateJustice #ClimateTraining #UNFCCC

Earlier this month, Dr Aline Soterroni and Professor Nathalie Seddon gave a talk on "Net Zero Needs Nature and Nature Needs Net Zero" as part of our "Reality of Net Zero" seminar series. They covered what is and is not a nature-based solution, the meaning of biodiversity, deforestation in Brazil, and so much more. The recording of their talk is now available on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eC5mZ555 You can also see their slides here: https://lnkd.in/eMGxHxZq Thank you so much to all of our excellent speakers throughout the series and to everyone who attended! You can watch the recordings of all the seminars on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eWi-itzF Or visit the seminar series event page, where you can view the recordings as well as the slides for many of the talks: https://lnkd.in/eM86K7Bu The ZERO Institute - University of Oxford Oxford Earth Sciences Nature-Based Solutions Initiative Department of Biology, University of Oxford School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford Faculty of Law, University of Oxford Oxford Policy Engagement Network (OPEN) Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford Myles Allen Alexis McGivern Ewan White Lavanya. Rajamani Matilda Becker Kaya Axelsson Nick Eyre James Mwangi Steve Smith Michael Kendall Paul Shearing David Howey

⏳ THIS IS IT—LAST CHANCE! 🚨 The Global Youth Climate Training (GYCT) 2025 applications CLOSE TODAY! This is your FINAL opportunity to join a FREE, online program designed to equip young changemakers (16-35) with the knowledge, skills, and connections to engage in global climate policy and COP30 negotiations. 🌍🔥 Why apply NOW? ✅ Learn from top climate experts & policymakers ✅ Develop real advocacy & negotiation skills ✅ Connect with a global network of young leaders 🌎 ✅ Apply for a £3,000 bursary to attend COP30 This initiative is a collaboration with Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford, Oxford Net Zero, University of Oxford, and Eco Interpreters , ensuring high-quality, accessible climate education worldwide. 📢 No more extensions. No second chances. Apply before the deadline closes! 🔗 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/eyxmgg3i #GYCT2025 #lastchance #deadlinetoday #climateleaders #youthforclimate #COP30 #actnow #climateaction #globalyouth #futurechangemakers

KYOTO x Net Zero Tracker: Take Action on Climate Accountability! 🌍 The critically acclaimed play Kyoto—hailed as “riveting and urgent’’ by The Guardian—brings the high-stakes drama of climate negotiations to life, leaving audiences inspired to take personal action on humankind’s defining issue. And the real action doesn’t stop when the curtain falls… Kyoto’s excellent ‘Act’ page features the Net Zero Tracker, a vital tool for understanding net zero commitments and holding companies, and national, city and state governments to account for climate change. 🔥 Here’s how you can take action: 1️⃣ University students: Get involved! Join the 250+ student volunteers already working with Net Zero Tracker to track and challenge climate commitments. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/er9JRurf 2️⃣ Boost your understanding: Use the Net Zero Tracker to check which companies, cities, and countries are truly committing to net zero—and which aren’t. 3️⃣ Hold climate actors accountable: Expose greenwashing and push for stronger action from those in power. 🎟️ Don’t just watch the story unfold—be part of it. Explore the Tracker, get involved, and help drive real climate action! Kyoto is a Royal Shakespeare Company, Good Chance Theatre, @Rachel Styne and Jessica Foung production, and is currently playing at sohoplace until 3 May. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eGYzpaqw Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit Oxford Net Zero Data-Driven EnviroLab NewClimate Institute

The University of Oxford has launched Oxford EARTH (Ensuring equitable Access to sustainable Resources for a Thriving Habitat), a multidisciplinary research programme addressing sustainable natural resource challenges critical to the net-zero energy transition. Supported by £3.4 million over five years, Oxford EARTH positions the University as a global leader in sustainable resource research, aiming to inform the development of future mining operations that are both sustainable and equitable, with minimal environmental impact. This initiative unites experts from nine departments: Engineering Science, Oxford Earth Sciences, Oxford Chemistry, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, Department of Materials, University of Oxford, and the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford to holistically address issues such as sourcing critical raw materials, mitigating environmental impacts, and developing resilient supply chains for renewable energy technologies. Oxford EARTH is allied to three other university-wide initiatives: The ZERO Institute - University of Oxford, Oxford Net Zero, and Sustainable Chemistry; together these programmes show how the University is leading net zero and energy transition research. https://lnkd.in/eTUCyUkQ #SustainableResources #NetZero #OxfordEARTH #InterdisciplinaryResearch #RenewableEnergy

Just a few more days left to apply for the 2025 Global Youth Climate Training programme! In the video below, Oxford Net Zero Fellow Alexis McGivern, who is co-director of the programme, explains why you don't want to miss out on this opportunity. Please note that the application deadline has been extended to Monday 24 March. Read more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eQNTMb4h Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford The Global Youth Coalition

****UPDATE**** The deadline has been extended to Monday the 24th of March! --------------------------------------------------------------- Two more days to apply for the 2025 edition of the Global Youth Climate Training! Applications are due this Friday, 21 March. Don't wait – apply now!

Just ONE more week to apply for the 2025 Global Youth Climate Training! If you're aged 16 to 35 and you want to develop the skills to engage in global climate policy and negotiations, we want to hear from you! Scroll down for more details and the application link. ⬇️ ⬇️

Thank you so much to Dr Aline Soterroni and Prof Nathalie Seddon for their fantastic talk on why "Net Zero Needs Nature and Nature Needs Net Zero" on Wednesday! A recording will be available soon. A huge thank you to all of the speakers who were part of our "Reality of Net Zero" seminar series. We appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with so many people! Thank you also to our wonderful co-hosts, Oxford Earth Sciences and The ZERO Institute - University of Oxford. And most of all, thank you to everyone who attended! We hope you enjoyed the series as much as we did. If you missed the seminar on battery energy storage from Prof Paul Shearing and Prof David Howey last week, a recording of their talk is now available: https://lnkd.in/eKBn6PAR You can also download their slides from the seminar series webpage (https://lnkd.in/eM86K7Bu), where you can find recordings of the previous talks in the series. University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science Oxford Climate Research Network Oxford Climate Society Oxford Climate Alumni Network Nature-Based Solutions Initiative