Ahead Of COP26, RSC Targets Zero Percent Carbon Emissions By 2040

JAKARTA - The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has announced plans to reduce its environmental impact over the next two decades. The organization aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Speaking at the RSC's annual general meeting on July 8, RSC President Tom Welton and chief executive Helen Pain outlined new sustainability commitments. Pain explained that the RSC aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% from 2019 levels by 2030, as a milestone towards the 2040 target.

“Chemistry is at the core of sustainability, covering some of the most pressing social challenges of our time; probably top of the list is climate change,” said Welton. "It is imperative that the RSC take a leadership role on behalf of chemists and chemical scientists everywhere, especially with COP26 being held in Glasgow this year."

In the climate change conference, COP26 (Climate Change Conference of the Parties), Coordinating Minister for the Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Airlangga Hartarto, was appointed as co-chairman. Indonesia itself now has a road map to continue reducing carbon emissions by 41 percent by 2030.

The RSC plans to publish a complete set of carbon accounts and its strategy for reducing carbon emissions along with its annual trustee report at the end of the year. Welton explained that the organization will assess the impact of all of its activities – from international travel, to the suppliers it chooses to work with.

In a statement on its website, the RSC notes that the new zero carbon emission target is only one aspect of its strategy to 'maximize the contribution of chemistry to sustainability', and highlights its work on school curricula and public awareness campaigns as yet another example of its commitment to sustainability in spotlight.

The organization also recently signed off on two initiatives that bind publishers and professional bodies to meeting the United Nations' sustainable development goals.