UniGe has made a strong commitment against climate change.

Along with a small number of other Italian universities, it obtained accreditation from the UNFCCC already in 2010 as an observer in the United Nations Climate Change Conferences of the Parties (COPs), including COP21 held in Paris in December 2015, where the historic Paris Agreement on limiting global warming was adopted.

Since 2014, following the voluntary agreement signed by the University and the Ministry of the Environment, UniGe has quantified its greenhouse gas emissions inventory by measuring its carbon footprint annually.

In 2019 UniGe joined the UN global campaign "Race To Zero for Universities and colleges" and "The Sustainable Development Goals Accord", an initiative coordinated by the Youth and Education Alliance of the UN Environment. In the same year, UniGe joined the Climate Emergency declaration and signed a letter of intent that lists 10 good practices and actions, including the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030.

In line with this commitment, a Climate Strategy was defined, followed by a Climate Action Plan, both of which identify the pathway and actions required to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. These documents include short- and medium-term targets, as well as long-term goals towards net-zero emissions (see the section dedicated to UniGe’s Climate Policy).

The objective of reducing carbon emissions is also reflected in the Integrated Plan of Activities and Organization (PIAO), which includes among its indicators the goal: “Reduce the University’s carbon footprint, including through the reduction of energy consumption (VP-05-A).”