Tessa Simpson • 21.04.23 •  2 mins

Tomorrow (Saturday 22nd April) people all over the world will be marking Earth Day, an annual event that highlights the importance of sustainability and environmental protection. The official theme for 2023 is Investing In Our Planet.

Earth Day provides a focal point for action: coordinating volunteers, providing education resources and sharing ideas on everything from sustainable fashion to beach clean-ups. With very similar objectives, the ATI is proud to announce that we have signed up to the Race To Zero campaign.

Race To Zero is an initiative of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and at its core is a pledge: that each signatory will reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and by 2050 at the latest. The pledge includes an interim target of achieving a 50% reduction by 2030.

The ATI is already taking action to operate in a more sustainable way. Our efforts to decarbonise our operations, led by our Net Zero Heroes cross-business team, include reviewing the energy usage of our two offices, putting in place more sustainable procurement policies, advising our staff on better ways to travel and embedding a consideration of sustainability at the heart of a wide range of operational decisions. We will be reporting annually on our progress across these multiple areas.

It is a small step in comparison to the aerospace research in which we invest. The ATI Programme is helping UK aerospace to deliver significant improvements to the carbon emissions of future aircraft, and will be a major part of the global sector’s drive to reach net zero by 2050.

But being part of Race To Zero is a sign of the ATI’s commitment to showing leadership on decarbonisation. We are excited to be part of this global movement and to play our part in building momentum towards a sustainable world. More information on UNFCCC’s Race To Zero campaign can be found here: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/race-to-zero-campaign