COP29 and our new Sustainability Strategy

COP29, or the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), takes place from 11 to 22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people and wildlife around the globe, COP29 is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis by bringing together leaders from government and business, with climate scientists, young people, indigenous peoples, and civil society to advance concrete solutions.

Ahead of COP29, world leaders have already adopted a Pact for the Future initiative - countries are reaffirming and “turbocharging” their commitments to the Paris Agreement and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At COP29, dubbed ‘the finance COP’ as global representatives will establish a new global climate finance target, countries will also present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris agreement. If done right, these bolder, fully implementable, and investable plans will be economy-wide, focus on transitioning away from fossil fuels, and will limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate action plans, which are due next year, will also double as investment plans for advancing delivery of the SDGs.

With this global reaffirmation and turbocharging of climate change commitments taking centre stage next week, we have taken the opportunity to update and relaunch our sustainability strategy. Our updated strategy, which reaffirms our commitment to cutting carbon emissions and our alignment with the SDGs, sets out 10 sustainability commitments, and associated targets, using an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. While we are reviewing the specific targets for the social and governance thematic areas (and we will confirm them soon), our environmental commitments and targets are set out in full in the new document.

We know that well-managed conservation zoos play a central role in preventing the extinction of threatened species and addressing the challenges of climate change and habitat loss. Our focus is to lead by example, across our UK and international activities, demonstrating what a progressive, sustainable conservation and education zoological charity can be.

Read our Sustainability Strategy.

You can get involved with COP29 remotely:

• Read more about COP29 and why it is important

• Watch live and recorded events direct from the conference

You can make a difference to climate change and help save wildlife:

• Eat local, eat seasonal, eat balanced - this will reduce the miles your food travels, reduce artificial heating/cooling requirements for food production, reduce the embodied carbon-emissions associated with your ingredients

• Find, compare, and take lower carbon travel - use Route Zero to help you choose more sustainable travel options and routes

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle - ‘think before you buy’ and ‘make do and mend’ attitudes and actions will reduce emissions associated with both product production and waste disposal

• Reduce your energy and water use - reducing consumption of utilities will reduce costs as well as carbon emissions

• Plant more trees and shrubs - increasing greenery around your home and workplace will have a great cooling effect, help capture and store carbon, and provide more habitats for wildlife!