Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane Harrington, said: "Here at the University of Greenwich we are always looking at ways to better our impact on the planet. We're were recently ranked as one of the world's top 75 universities for climate action so it's a topic we are passionate about. Signing up to the One Planet Pledge further affirms our commitment to move in the right direction and take action to ensure the planet is well looked after."
The pledge has been launched by former Cabinet Minister Justine Greening, drawing on her experience as the United Kingdom's former Secretary of State for International Development.
It was while she held the post that the UN Sustainable Development Goals were formally adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to make a legal commitment that by 2050 it would end its contribution to global warming.
Also signing the One Planet Pledge are National Grid; insurance giant Direct Line; house builder Barratt Developments; and Northern Gas Networks.
Other signatories from the higher education sector include Staffordshire University, the University of West London and the University of Greenwich.
Justine Greening added: "Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges that we face. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, 'the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win.'
"Hitting the UK's 2050 target will need a country-wide effort and the role of business as a force for good is essential. Unarguably economic growth has been responsible for lifting large numbers out of poverty in the last 20 years. But unless we take action, climate change will have a devastating impact that pushes those gains back and risks devastating consequences.
The One Planet Pledge will mobilise businesses and universities to get behind the Net Zero target and has been developed by the team behind the national Social Mobility Pledge.
Over 450 businesses and 60 universities, representing more than seven million people, have now committed to the Social Mobility Pledge, which was founded by Justine Greening and entrepreneur David Harrison in 2018.
