Climate change - an interdisciplinary perspective - Detailseite

The extension module is aimed at MSc students with a genuine interest in climate science and related topics for their future career in and outside academia. As such it provides an interdisciplinary overview of core concepts and elements of climate change to introduce participants to its multi-faceted and complex nature, and to enhance their ability for interdisciplinary discourse going forward. The module encompasses elements from the physical basics to the economics of mitigating climate change, from sectoral impacts and adaptation to the climate policy landscape.
In covering the interdisciplinary aspects of climate science, the module will draw on the products of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and in particular its recent Sixth Assessment Reports of the Working Group I-III. The IPCC reports will be supplemented by additional literature as applicable.

The module will be held in a block seminar plus an additional preparatory meeting. It will be set out in 4h blocks including two presentations, one by the lecturer and one by a participant. The participants can choose a topic of their interest from the list provided below on which they will prepare a 60min presentation plus questions. Background literature will be provided by the lecturer. Depending on the number of participants, each participant is required to give either one presentation and submit a seminar paper on the same topic.


Background on the lecturer

Prof. Dr. Carl-Friedrich Schleußner is an Honorary Professor at the Department of Geography and a research group leader at the Humboldt University IRI-THESys cluster. Carl-Friedrich Schleußner is also a group leader at the International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and works as a scientific advisor to small island states.

 
Block 1 The climatological basics of climate change

 

Session 1 Introduction (1.5hrs)

• History of Climate Science, the IPCC and key concepts like the temperature and net zero goals

Session 2 Core concepts of climate science (4.5hrs)

• Greenhouse gases and global warming potentials

• Earth System feedbacks, the global carbon cycle and the climate response

• Irreversible impacts and tipping points

Session 3 Climate models (3h)

•     Climate models across scales

•     Navigating the climate scenario landscape

 

Session 4 Carbon budgets and negative emissions (3h)

•     Carbon budgets from global to regional/national
•     Carbon dioxide removal and negative emissions

 
Block 2 Climate Impacts


Session 1 Extreme weather events (3h)

•     Extreme weather events
•     Compound extreme events

 

Session 2 Impacts on Land (3h)

•     Climate impacts on land including land degradation and desertification, biosphere and agriculture
•     Changes to the hydrological cycle including extremes

 

Session 3 Impacts on health and the economy(3h)

•     Impacts on human health
•     Economic impacts across regions and sectors including Labour Productivity  

Session 4 Impacts on Ocean and Cryosphere (3h)

•     Cryospheric changes and global sea level rise
•     Oceanic impacts, regional sea level rise, climate impacts on ocean ecosystems

 
Block 3 Climate change mitigation and sustainable development

 

Session 1 Approaches to socio-economic modelling (3h)

•     Integrated Assessment models (IAMs)
•     Characteristics of emission pathways to achieve the Paris Agreement goals

Session 2 The shared socio-economic pathways (3h)

•     Models of human capital for sustainability research
•     Sustainability dimensions and climate interlinkages

Session 3 Socio-economic development and adaptation (3h)

•     Adaptation, Adaptive capacity, Limits and Barriers
•     Loss and Damage

Session 4 Implications for global and national action (3h)

•     Equity and justice in the climate discourse
•     Climate finance

The participants can choose a topic of their interest from the list provided below on which they will prepare a 60min presentation plus questions. Background literature will be provided by the lecturer. Depending on the number of participants, each participant is required to give either one or two presentations and submit a seminar paper on the same topic.

The extension module is aimed at students with a genuine interest in climate science and related topics for their future career in and outside academia. The interdisciplinary nature of the module makes it suitable for students from diverse backgrounds.