Zero Carbon Manchester 2038

Climate activists demanding climate action.

Manchester has committed to play its full part in limiting the impacts of climate change.

Manchester City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and aim to make Manchester a zero carbon city by 2038 or before – at least 12 years earlier than the national 2050 target.

According to the latest expert analysis that means reducing carbon emissions by 13% year-on-year, and becoming a zero carbon city by 2038.

Meeting these targets will make Manchester one of the world’s leading cities for action on climate change, bringing us full circle from the industrial revolution to a new zero carbon revolution. It will also mean creating a dynamic and resilient economy where our businesses can thrive and where our residents will have access to good, secure jobs and the highest quality of life. Manchester Climate Change Partnership wants all organisations in the city to help realise this vision.

Our Commitment to Act

Manchester Metropolitan University strongly supports the city's ambition, and has itself committed to be a zero carbon University by 2038 for its direct carbon and carbon equivalent emissions*.  

Manchester Metropolitan University believes that all organisations and residents in Manchester need to be part of a collective effort to meet our targets and commits to contribute by:

• Acting now, including accelerating our existing decarbonisation activities, wherever possible, taking responsibility for the carbon emissions from our business activities and working to reduce them to zero by 2038.
• Supporting and influencing our customers, residents, suppliers and other stakeholders to take action.
• Defining the support we need and proactively asking for it, including asking politicians for policy changes wherever relevant.

Manchester Met is now developed the first of three Carbon Management Plans (2020-2026), which outlines our ambitions and the actions we will take to be a zero carbon University by 2038.

*Manchester Met is working towards zero carbon for direct carbon and carbon equivalent emissions by 2038, as defined by the Tyndall Centre’s proposed targets and definition of zero carbon for Manchester (‘playing our full part’)