Understanding and addressing climate change is a priority that cuts across all areas of society, influencing disciplines ranging from science and policy to economics and the human and social sciences. Building on research from the CMCC Foundation, this Research Unit aims to provide a wide range of climate education opportunities, encompassing graduate degrees (Master’s and PhDs), seasonal schools, outreach courses, as well as educational activities designed for younger learners.
Focusing on the objective of ‘Educating the Next Generation,’ it aims to equip researchers and professionals with the knowledge, tools, and skills necessary to face climate-related challenges and make informed decisions.

All the Education programs (Graduate Programs, Summer and Winter Schools) can be accessed here.

Calls for application

Contact point: Gabriele Canzi

This Research Unit aims to create a global knowledge hub for sharing knowledge and conducting advanced studies on climate science. It also provides training on policy and governance and accelerates collaboration with partners from the Global South. Its main activities include training and capacity building for public administration officials, the private sector, as well as peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among experts on diverse scientific topics, through the organization of major conferences and roundtables.

Contact point: Chiara Trozzo

Climate Law and Litigation

This research unit sits at the nexus of climate science, policy and law, fostering cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary collaboration and targeted training to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and legal practice. This initiative aims to equip legal practitioners, policy makers and researchers with the critical knowledge and skills needed to navigate the evolving legal landscape of climate change according to the best available science, thereby addressing legal and governance challenges in a science-based approach.

The activities focus on:

1) enhancing legal understanding of climate science;

2) developing research on climate law and litigation;

3) publishing research articles, position papers, and policy recommendations;

4) providing capacity building for legal professionals;

5) fostering international collaboration with climate lawyers and institutions of the Global South.

Contact points: Ivano Alogna, Elisa Fiorini Beckhauser.

Cultural heritage and climate change

Cultural heritage, recognized in its tangible and intangible dimensions and as a strategic resource for addressing its challenges, becomes a key to understanding ongoing transformations, a repository of adaptive solutions and a powerful instrument for social cohesion and resilience.

The activities carried out by the Centre specifically focus on:

1) Promoting a shared knowledge of cultural heritage, with particular attention to its intangible dimensions and intergenerational transmission;

2) Conducting applied research on the vulnerability and resilience of cultural heritage to climate change, enhancing local knowledge and traditional practices as a basis for adaptation pathways;

3) Develop policy recommendations that integrate cultural heritage discourse into climate strategies, planning and adaptation processes;

4) Providing training and capacity-building for professionals, communities and new generations, increasing awareness, skills and equipping stakeholders with tools to actively participate in the development and implementation of policies and practices related to cultural heritage and climate change adaptation;

5) Strengthening multi-actor partnerships at local, national, European and international levels, creating spaces for discussion between the scientific community, institutions, territorial practices and citizens.

Through this set of actions, ATEC aims to contribute to the development of more just, inclusive and climate resilient communities, supporting the recognition of cultural heritage as a key element of adaptation policies and as a catalyst for climate, cultural, and social change.