Working with real-​world case studies, the Climate Innovation programme empowers climate leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to support and lead the transition towards net zero emissions in their own context.

The course teaches concepts and methodologies of sustainability assessment. A special focus is given to the social dimension and to social justice as a guiding principle of sustainability. The format of the course is seminar-like, interactive.

The ETH Global Development Summer School provides young researchers with the opportunity to work on current and sustainability-related topics in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams. Focus is given not only to teaching theoretical knowledge but also to solving specific case studies.

The students develop research projects on climate change adaptation in which they combine and apply quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. The students identify political, economically and socially acceptable adaptation measures and thus also evaluate the social and ethical dimensions of climate risk analysis and adaptation.

In this course, interdisciplinary student teams work with societal partners to understand and address a real-world problem. Students design and implement a transdisciplinary, solution-oriented research project and communicate their findings to academic and broader societal audiences. In 2026, the focus is on climate change adaptation in Surselva, a mountain region in the Swiss canton of Grisons.