Engagement Team
Our team operates at the intersection of research and practice to operationalize net-zero governance and action for integrity, urgency, and equity. We work collaboratively and positively with businesses, governments, civil society, and international standards processes to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real world action at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Sitting within the interdisciplinary ONZ research group (which comprises more than 30 researchers across 11 Departments of the University of Oxford), the Engagement Team provides an integrated and up-to-date perspective on the scientific, environmental, economic, and policy dimensions of achieving net-zero emissions. Through active engagement with business leaders, policy makers, civil society representatives, and international standards processes, we ensure that cutting-edge research insights are brought into the rapidly evolving net-zero landscape.
Simultaneously, our team works with partners beyond the University to identify critical knowledge gaps and address them through high-impact academic research. By involving diverse stakeholders at every stage, we ensure our research is grounded in real-world needs, driving meaningful change for a sustainable future.
The scope of our work currently covers four core areas, with partnerships in:
- International net-zero standardisation
- National and international policy and regulation
- Private sector companies
- Youth and civil society actors
Do you have a research idea for our team? Get in touch via the ONZ email address.
Standards
Our team has played a leading role and many supporting roles supporting the development of the latest net zero and net zero relevant standards. Our aim is to support standards in aligning with one another, reduce fragmentation, and maintain a strong reference to the science of net zero. Our research also identifies areas of convergence and fragmentation across the standards and voluntary initiatives landscape.
Standards mapping and research
The net-zero standards landscape is often critiqued as being complex and contradictory. To overcome this false perception and provide clarity on the voluntary net-zero landscape, our team systematically reviewed the guidance provided by standards and voluntary initiatives, assessment and disclosure regimes to trace common and emerging good practice. This has formed the basis of other summaries of guidance, including that hosted on the Net Zero Tracker’s website.
Key Paper: https://netzeroclimate.org/mapping-voluntary-initiative-landscape/
Oxford Offsetting Principles
Our team lead, Kaya Axelsson, was a lead author on the Oxford Offsetting Principles which charts a course for organisations to navigate the evolving landscape of carbon markets and offsetting practices. Key highlights include urgent calls to accelerate emission reductions, close the carbon removal gap, and harness the power of nature-based solutions.
Key Paper: https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-offsetting-principles
Climate Solutions Framework
In partnership with Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the Engagement Team developed the “Climate Solutions: A framework for defining climate solutions and climate solutions companies”, which outlines how organisations can identify and define climate solutions products, services and companies. This guidance is vital for entities wanting to transition the products they sell or buy towards greener alternatives, or wanting to label themselves as climate solutions companies. In the midst of subjective, relative and often untransparent claims and labelling regarding climate solutions, this framework provides clarity and rigour for practitioners.
Framework: https://exponentialroadmap.org/climate-solutions/
Just transition, Equity and Climate Justice Guidance
In partnership with the British Standards Institution, and funded by the UKRI’s ACCESS FundNetwork, we have recruited a cohort of twelve youth from around the world to create equity and justice-focussed criteria for incorporation in net-zero standards. Our aim is to demonstrate how youth and other marginalised voices can be upskilled to participate in the standards processes, can contribute meaningful expertise to standards-making processes, and demonstrate a methodological proof of concept of how to bring youth expertise into climate governance.
ACCESS Project: https://accessnetwork.uk/unlocking-the-power-of-youth-to-develop-equity-in-net-zero-governance/
Net-Zero Standards - Technical Contributions and consultation responses
We lead and contribute expertise via Technical Working Groups for several standards, including the International Standard Organisation’s Net-Zero Guidelines, the Science-Based Targets Initiative, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Corporate Standard. 2025-2026 represents a unique moment to input changes to many key standards that are being revised.
Our team also regularly contributes to wider consultation processes to inform the latest standards, including VCMI, GHGP, SBTi, and ISO and sector standards.
Policy
Our team works to track net zero policy instruments at the national level, and works with international coalitions to close gaps in the global net zero accountability and integrity landscape.
Policy and Regulatory Research
Building on recent stocktakes of international net-zero policy and regulatory instruments in the G20, we are researching how specific policy levers including procurement can accelerate sectoral transformations towards net zero.
Net Zero Stocktake: https://netzeroclimate.org/publications/net-zero-stocktake-2024/
Net Zero Accountability
Our team lead, Kaya Axelsson, has been appointed Co-Chair of the International Climate Politics Hub Working Group on Net Zero Accountability and chairs coordination meetings with over forty NGOs developing advocacy positions and efforts to advance net-zero policy and close gaps in the international net-zero accountability ecosystem.
Net-Zero Regulation and Policy Hub
We are key partners of the Net-Zero Regulation and Policy Hub, at the Blavatnik School of Governance, University of Oxford. We use this partnership to input our knowledge of best practice and trends in the international standards landscape into research design and analysis of the international policy and regulation landscape. We recently supported the publication of a G20 briefing based on international mapping of regulation.
Net-Zero Policy Network
We run the Net-Zero Policy Network, bringing together practitioners from around the world who work on net-zero policy within governments, business, financial industries, and civil society. We host quarterly webinars and newsletters for broad reach engagement.
Youth and Civil Society Engagement
Our team works to empower youth and civil society by providing training, platforms, and opportunities for engagement in the climate policy landscape. Through programs like the Global Youth Climate Training, we equip young people with the skills and confidence to participate in international climate discussions. We also engage with youth cohorts to contribute to the development of more equitable net-zero standards and conduct research to amplify civil society perspectives on climate justice and governance. These efforts aim to ensure that the voices of youth and marginalized communities are central to the ongoing evolution of global net-zero frameworks.
Youth Climate Training
Our team runs the annual Global Youth Climate Training Programme to equip people aged 16-35 with the knowledge and confidence necessary to engage in international climate policy. In both the 2023 and the 2024 iterations, we received over 10,000+ applicants. In 2024, we supported five young people with full bursaries to attend COP29, created a virtual conference space, and saw a highly engaged international cohort launch their own spin-out projects including a Pacific-youth focused training programme.
Civil Society Perceptions
We have an ongoing research project on civil society/climate justice perceptions of the net zero governance landscape, with groups and actors such as ClientEarth. These will support a research paper to inform our standards community on opportunities for growth in net zero definition and norms.
Power of Youth for Equity in Net-Zero Governance
We are working with a cohort of twelve youth from around the world to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing revision of net-zero standards. The project has a particular focus on creating equity and justice-focused criteria that companies can use in their net-zero decarbonisation plans.
Private Sector Engagement
Our team works with sustainable business networks to convene private sector partners for precompetitive collaboration on net zero alignment in the real economy. Our private sector collaborations include:
Net Zero Assessment Tool
We partnered with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to create the Climate Readiness Check, a free tool for businesses to assess their compliance against the net-zero governance landscapes.
Readiness Check: https://www.theclimatedrive.org/net-zero-readiness-check
Defining Net Zero for Professional Services
We are working to engage with service providers (i.e, consultancies, financial institutions, law firms) on how they can scale high ambition net-zero strategies. In 2024, we launched the Serviced Emissions report after a four-month consultation on the draft released at COP28. We had two successful in-person launches at NY Climate Week and in London, bringing together leaders from across the professional services industry. Our Net Zero Integrity Manager, Alexis McGivern, is Co-Chair of the Race to Zero Working Group, which brought together key representatives from law firms, advertisers, and other creative agencies, to define the initial guidelines for ‘serviced emissions’ and the draft principles launched at COP28.
Serviced Emissions Report: https://netzeroclimate.org/serviced-emissions-placing-professional-services-at-the-heart-of-net-zero/
Corporate Spheres of Influence
Our team published the paper “Is impact out of scope: A call for innovation in climate standards to inspire action across companies’ Spheres of Influence”, with the ambition of innovating company reporting standards and promoting climate action beyond ‘scopes’. This framework encourages company action towards global net-zero, and the influence and impact they can have through their products, political engagement and purchasing. We are engaging with a variety of international companies to socialise this concept and develop its impact.
Key Paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17583004.2024.2382995#abstract
Executive Education
We developed and delivered the first joint SBS-SSEE Executive Education course, the Oxford Sustainable Business Programme, which delivered its first 5 day in-person course in October 2024 upskilling business leaders on the science, strategy, and standards of net-zero.
The next iteration will be held in September 2025.
Wider Engagement
We engage regularly with major business associations’ sustainability officers on key issues related to net-zero integrity, including offsetting, scope coverage and what net-zero means for the fossil fuel industry including a managed phase out and the definition of abatement.
An image of a wind farm.
About Us
Kaya Axelsson
Our team lead, covering our workstreams on standards and policy engagement.
Alexis McGivern
Our Net Zero Integrity Manager, leads our workstream on private sector, civil society, and youth engagement.
Ranjita Rajan
Serves on our team as a Business Fellow of the Smith School, advising on our private sector work streams, including our private equity and professional services initiatives.
Lucilla Dias
Leads our net zero policy and regulation tracking.
Dr Matilda Becker
Coordinates across Oxford Net Zero’s strategic partnerships in policy, civil society, business, and standards
Dr Aoife Brophy
Lecturer in Innovation and Enterprise and ONZ co-investigator
News and Events
Oxford Net Zero partners with AXA XL on research in India, Mexico and Kenya
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Finance, Fossil Fuels and $10 coffee: Reflections on COP29
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Oxford Net Zero announces affiliation with Reuben College
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Using natural carbon sinks to offset emissions will not stop global warming, scientists say
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ONZ Fellows contribute to progress report for UN Secretary General
A new report, published today at COP29 in Baku and presented to the UN Secretary General, details the progress that non-state entities are making towards high-integrity net zero commitments. The report is a follow-up to the 2022 Integrity ... Read more
Job opening: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Carbon Accounting
The School of Geography and the Environment and the Department of Earth Sciences are recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Carbon Accounting to work on the Net Zero Aviation project. This position involves researching carbon ... Read more
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