1 Residence Unit-Climate School

1 RU Climate School

1 RU Full Time Enrollment in the Climate School

• Instructor: Cari E Shimkus
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• 0 points

1/2 RU Climate School

1/2 RU tuition for Climate School students

• Instructor: Cari E Shimkus
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• 0 points

Extended Residence Climate School

Extended Residence CLIM

Extended Residence enrollment category for Climate School students.

• Instructor: Cari E Shimkus
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• 0 points

Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan

DYNAMICS CLIMATE VAR & CH

Required for students in the Climate and Society MA Program Prerequisites: undergraduate course in climate or physics; undergraduate calculus An overview of how the climate system works on large scales of space and time, with particular attention to the science and methods underlying forecasts of climate variability and climate change. This course serves as the basic physical science course for the MA program in Climate and Society

• T 4:10 p.m.-6:40 p.m.
• W 4:10 p.m.-6:40 p.m.
• R 4:10 p.m.-6:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Mingfang Ting
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• Instructor: Suzana J de Camargo
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• Instructor: Michela Biasutti
  h-index: 27 Info
• 3 points

Climate Change Mitigation

This survey course provides an overview of the tools (technologies, policies, etc.) that can be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This course will utilize scenario planning frameworks to explore pathways to economy-wide decarbonization. In this work, the course will explore not only the technical options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also the policy responses, market-structures, and behavioral change that can support progress to net-zero. The course will also utilize a series of case studies of decarbonization pathways for different geographies in low- middle- and high-income countries to provide insights on mitigation strategies, including risks and opportunities. This course is intentionally multidisciplinary, weaving together STEM, policy, and other social sciences. It will be primarily focused on applications of mitigation solutions and will highlight both what net-zero “end states” may look like and the transition pathways to achieve these end states.

• M 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Lisa E Sachs
  Info
• 3 points

Climate Change Adaptation

Utilizing a case-study approach, this course will offer a focused study of climate change adaptation policy, exploring dimensions of adaption across sectors and scales. With a thematic focus on pervasive global inequities, students will also consider challenges associated with international development and disaster risk management. An inter-disciplinary framework will enrich the course, and students will learn about perspectives from the natural sciences, law, architecture, anthropology, humanitarian aid, and public policy.

• T 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• 3 points

Social, Equity & Governance Consideratio

Considerations for GHG Re

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, the international community vowed to “reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible,” and to achieve “rapid emissions reductions thereafter.” Despite that, however, global emissions continue to increase. The lack of progress has spurred interest in the possibility of removing greenhouse gases directly from the atmosphere. Modelling by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that atmospheric greenhouse gas removal (GHGR) could help to combat climate change in three ways. First, GHGR could be used to reduce net emissions in the short-term, while countries are in the process of decarbonizing. Second, GHGR could be used to offset residual emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors (e.g., aviation) and thus achieve net-zero emissions. Third, in the longer-term, GHGR could be used to achieve net-negative emissions if deployed at levels exceeding residual emissions.

Scientists have proposed a variety of GHGR techniques, but questions remain about their efficacy, benefits, and risks. Technical feasibility is not the only consideration as large-scale deployment of GHGR could raise a host of social, ethical, and governance issues. For example, some climate activists have argued GHGR may discourage action to reduce emissions, and further entrench fossil fuel use. Others have expressed concern about the equity and justice implications of deploying GHGR, arguing
that it could exacerbate existing inequalities and place the most vulnerable at greater risk. Existing governance frameworks may not be effective in preventing these negative outcomes nor maximizing the benefits of GHGR.

This course will explore possible technique for large-scale GHGR. We will discuss the feasibility of deploying different techniques, with a particular focus on the ethical, social, and governance issues that large-scale deployment could raise. We will also consider strategies for advancing just and equitable deployment and explore the role of different actors (e.g., governments, the private sector, and civil society) in ensuring that occurs.

• R 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Romany Webb
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• 1.5 points

Climate Change Decision-Making

This course presents decision science to students, showing it to be a source of concepts and techniques to promote more extensive and effective climate action. It emphasizes the relevance of decision science to students who are planning professional careers in climate-focused organizations and sectors, while also being of value to students who plan future studies in academic and professional programs.

As is widely recognized, there has been insufficient progress towards the goals of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations at safe levels and of adapting to existing and projected climate impacts. Understanding how individuals and organizations make decisions is a key step to reducing this gap. Decision science can help design resources (finance, regulation, governance, information and communications) in ways that promote action. 

The field of decision science emerged decades ago, drawing on psychology, economics and other social science fields to address problems of poor decision-making in areas such as finance and health. Recent research has extended this field to climate action. It has clarified   the obstacles that impede climate decision-making in many settings, and it has developed techniques to improve these decisions. There is an increasing body of empirical research that tests the effectiveness of these techniques in a wide variety of settings.

This course familiarizes students with central concepts and methods of decision science. The modules of the course focus on specific concepts and on techniques linked to them, drawing on concrete examples from climate-relevant domains such as disaster risk reduction, health, energy, water and food security.  The readings include studies which assess the effectiveness of specific techniques to support climate decisions. The course covers a range of different approaches. It shows that each of these can be useful to address obstacles to effective decision-making, but there is no silver bullet. Instead, the course provides students with means to select the decision techniques that are effective to address specific issues in specific contexts.

• W 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Ben S Orlove
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• 3 points

Climate Justice: Theory, Practice & Poli

Clim Justice: Theory -> P

• R 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Sheila Foster
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• 3 points

Climatic Change: Storytelling Arts, Zeit

This course brings students from The School of the Arts and The Climate School together to explore new and compelling approaches to navigating climate solutions in the worlds we create and the stories we tell in theater, film, television, digital, visual art, and creative writing. In our current era of rapid change and transformation, artists and environmentalists have an important role to play in grasping the zeitgeist through an integrated lens of science, culture, and imagination.

Interdisciplinary collaboration in storytelling can drive feelings of understanding and agency by articulating the massive social changes that are imminent and the emotional uncertainties around climate. There’s a rapidly growing audience for these stories — but there are way too few of them. Delving into key areas of environmental concerns, students will learn how to access and analyze systems of science-based research and innovation, and build new muscles in storytelling, cultural strategies and longterm thinking for a wide range of artistic visions. Arts students will strengthen climate literacy and sciencethinking skills; Climate students will strengthen storytelling skills. We will study the connection between stories and audiences, including multi-cultural perspectives across the platforms where we consume arts and entertainment today. Together we will explore a multitude of narrative structures and styles of storytelling and we will produce fresh thinking for this generation around the role that climate storytelling can play in popular culture and adapting to change. Students will track their evolution of their vision over the span of the course, culminating in Week/Class 11: The Republic of Zeitgeist & Our Future, where students lead and co-teach this class around our collective visions for what our future should be.

Students will participate through creative writing assignments, student-led discussions and team exercises, and watching & reading climate content. We will practice collaborative strategies to explore new ways to tell creative and complex human stories in the arts and assess effective ways to shift culture to imagine and adapt to what life on a transformed global scale may become for all of us.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Lydia Pilcher
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• 3 points

C2: Carbon & Climate

This course explores the carbon cycle on Earth and its role in the climate system. Students will gain a broad overview of the cycling of carbon among the major biogeochemical reservoirs, the terrestrial biosphere (Module 1) and the ocean (Module 2), as well as their exchange with the atmosphere. Major topics include climate variability and change on human, millennial, and geological time scales (Module 3). In Module 4, we will explore perturbations to the carbon cycle from human activities, and how the use of fossil carbon since the industrial revolution has led to profound transformations in the cycling of carbon among land, oceans, and atmosphere and disrupted Earth’s climate.

• W 10:10 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Gisela Winckler
  Info
• 3 points

Global Food Trade, Shocks, and Migration

Global Food Trade Shocks

In this course, we examine the complex interdependencies between global food trade systems, climate-related and socioeconomic shocks, and human migration patterns. Together, we'll explore how disruptions propagate through international food networks, analyzing these systems through the lenses of agricultural economics, climate science, and geopolitics. We will investigate how various shocks—from climate extremes and armed conflicts to market volatility and pandemics—impact food security and trigger population movements across diverse regions and scales. Throughout the semester, we'll pay particular attention to climate change as a threat multiplier that intensifies existing vulnerabilities in our global food systems. By combining data analysis, case studies, and theoretical frameworks, we'll develop a nuanced understanding of the food-climate-migration nexus that shapes our modern world. 

This multidisciplinary approach will enable us to examine concepts of resilience and evaluate diverse solutions for strengthening food systems' ability to absorb shocks, from diversified production and redundant supply chains to adaptive governance mechanisms and transformative policy interventions that enhance robustness across scales. We will specifically investigate how different metrics of resilience—including redundancy, diversity, modularity, and connectivity—can be operationalized in food trade networks to reduce vulnerability to cascading failures that often trigger migration responses. Through quantitative analysis and case studies, we'll assess how strategies such as regional food reserves, alternative distribution channels, and early warning systems affect both food security and human mobility patterns. This integrated approach allows us to explore interventions that simultaneously strengthen food systems and provide migration-sensitive adaptations, recognizing that human mobility itself can be both a vulnerability and a resilience strategy in the face of food system disruptions.

• M 10:10 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Michael J Puma
  h-index: 23 Info
• 3 points

The Politics of Energy Transitions: From

This course examines the complex interplay between energy systems, political power, and societal transformation across historical periods—from the coal-powered dawn of the Industrial Revolution to the contemporary turn to renewables. Throughout, we focus on three interrelated threads: the political economy of energy regime shifts, the role of technological innovation in shaping these transitions, and the centrality of labor and labor politics in energy transitions. Themes and topics include: the relationship between fossil fuels and modern state formation; the centrality of energy resource control to geopolitical power; the history of electrification and its social impacts; the political dimensions of nuclear energy development; the rise of environmental movements; energy justice and democracy; corporate influence on energy policy, labor-environmental coalitions, and the contested politics of climate change mitigation. Though primarily historical in its focus, the course also draws on literature from science and technology studies, environmental sociology, political economy, energy studies, and climate policy analysis. Students will gain insight into how energy transitions both reflect and reshape political possibilities, with particular attention to recent debates surrounding the Green New Deal and other decarbonization strategies.

• R 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Leah V Aronowsky
  Info
• 1.5 points

Designing Climate Solutions: Framing Cli

The course addresses an important issue in climate action. Much progress has been made in recent decades in identifying the causes and consequences of climate change, and in developing a wide variety of approaches to address these two. Because of these advances, options for action have multiplied. In many sectors, a set of different approaches have been proposed. Before any one of those approaches is put into practice, it is useful to weigh it in comparison to the other approaches, to see whether it fits the specific context and population best. 

This course critically examines key concepts to enable students to navigate contested terrains and design more effective approaches to climate action. Students will develop skills to critically assess climate narratives, concepts, and communicate with nuance and depth to important audiences in the climate sphere. The frameworks are assessed through a critical lens, looking at the challenges of bridging different languages–whether the six official UN languages, or national and Indigenous languages, or the languages of experts and everyday communities. The course has a strong environmental justice lens as well, looking at how seemingly slight variation in approaches can have significant consequences on marginalized communities. By the end of this course, students will have the tools to critically examine the role of frameworks and language to design impactful climate action. 

The course goes through the main concepts, starting with Module 1: Foundational Climate Systems, which unpacks our use and understanding of the concepts that provide building blocks that the climate movement is built on: nature, environment, society, economy and politics. Central Park will serve as a case study to illustrate the connections and differences between these concepts. This is followed by Module 2: Dynamic Climate Systems, which examines the concepts that describe progress of climate action and the climate movement through time: sustainability, development, resilience, transformation and Indigenous knowledge. Elizabeth Kolbert’s book H is for Hope will serve as a resource to compare these concepts.  Each concept will first be introduced through a lecture for the first half of class, followed by an integration of the concept to real-life contexts through interactive activities, grounding in documents, and projects. Module 3: Multiple Frameworks for Climate Sectors integrates the first two modules and examines their relevance for specific sectors o

• T 10:10 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Ben S Orlove
  Info
• 3 points

Applied Climate I

This course is a core course for all Climate School students in the MA in Climate and Society and MS in Climate .5 credits in the fall and 5. credits in the spring. It is a practicum-style course focused on the application of classroom learnings in a range of professional and real-world situations.

At the beginning of the fall semesters, students will be grouped in teams and assigned a previous years’ Capstone project (a summer project that former CS students have produced in partnership with an external partner). Students will use this previous capstone project to practice skills including: stakeholder engagement strategies, communication and presentation skills, systems thinking, and project planning. 

The fall will be focused on grounding in the topic and challenge of the capstone project, stakeholder discovery and mock engagement, and evaluating its application to the New York City context. The spring will be focused on evaluation of problem definition of the client, work planning and project planning, learning from the client and/or alumni about the outcomes and contemporary challenges/applications of the project, and producing a final project as a team. By the end, students will be prepared to fully engage with their own capstone projects in future semesters, will have honed critical skills to support successful professional applications of their Climate School courses, and will have a ‘mission and values statement’ to guide their future practice as professionals.

• F 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Johanna Lovecchio
  Info
• 0.5 points

Applied Climate I

This course is a core course for all Climate School students in the MA in Climate and Society and MS in Climate .5 credits in the fall and 5. credits in the spring. It is a practicum-style course focused on the application of classroom learnings in a range of professional and real-world situations.

At the beginning of the fall semesters, students will be grouped in teams and assigned a previous years’ Capstone project (a summer project that former CS students have produced in partnership with an external partner). Students will use this previous capstone project to practice skills including: stakeholder engagement strategies, communication and presentation skills, systems thinking, and project planning. 

The fall will be focused on grounding in the topic and challenge of the capstone project, stakeholder discovery and mock engagement, and evaluating its application to the New York City context. The spring will be focused on evaluation of problem definition of the client, work planning and project planning, learning from the client and/or alumni about the outcomes and contemporary challenges/applications of the project, and producing a final project as a team. By the end, students will be prepared to fully engage with their own capstone projects in future semesters, will have honed critical skills to support successful professional applications of their Climate School courses, and will have a ‘mission and values statement’ to guide their future practice as professionals.

• F 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Sandra Goldmark
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 0.5 points

Applied Climate I

This course is a core course for all Climate School students in the MA in Climate and Society and MS in Climate .5 credits in the fall and 5. credits in the spring. It is a practicum-style course focused on the application of classroom learnings in a range of professional and real-world situations.

At the beginning of the fall semesters, students will be grouped in teams and assigned a previous years’ Capstone project (a summer project that former CS students have produced in partnership with an external partner). Students will use this previous capstone project to practice skills including: stakeholder engagement strategies, communication and presentation skills, systems thinking, and project planning. 

The fall will be focused on grounding in the topic and challenge of the capstone project, stakeholder discovery and mock engagement, and evaluating its application to the New York City context. The spring will be focused on evaluation of problem definition of the client, work planning and project planning, learning from the client and/or alumni about the outcomes and contemporary challenges/applications of the project, and producing a final project as a team. By the end, students will be prepared to fully engage with their own capstone projects in future semesters, will have honed critical skills to support successful professional applications of their Climate School courses, and will have a ‘mission and values statement’ to guide their future practice as professionals.

• F 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Andrew J Kruczkiewicz
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• Instructor: Radley M Horton
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• 0.5 points

New York City s Climate Policy From Sa

NYC Climate Policy Sandy-

Following the events of Hurricane Sandy, New York City has emerged as a leading city for climate action, pushing forward and experimenting with a broad range of climate policies and tools, including climate adaptation and resilience measures, decarbonization actions and legislation, environmental justice, and fossil fuel divestment, among others. 

This course will offer a focused study of New York City’s approach to confronting our climate crisis.  This will include an exploration of the many actions taken by NYC, their effectiveness, and proposals to build upon or improve them. This course is designed to encourage active participation and practical application of the material. The assignments and activities aim to help students build a solid understanding of key concepts while developing analytical skills, which will then apply to real-world scenarios. Guest lecturers with experience in New York City’s climate policy actions may join from time to time.

• R 10:10 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Daniel A Zarrilli
  Info
• 1.5 points

International Climate Finance

Course Objectives 

By the end of this course, you should be able to: 


Understand and critically engage with the varied narratives, objectives, and instruments of climate finance, and how they apply across sectors, regions, and institutional settings. 


Understand and analyze the roles of key actors—governments, multilateral institutions, investors, insurers, and civil society—and the financial and legal mechanisms that shape capital flows. 


Identify and assess the persistent challenges in climate finance, including disparities in access and cost of capital, weak institutional coherence, and gaps between risk frameworks and climate impact. 


Critically evaluate current tools and approaches—such as blended finance, credit guarantees, insurance products, and rating systems—and engage with proposals for structural reform.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
• Instructor: Lisa E Sachs
  Info
• 3 points

Climate Adaptation Discussion

This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.

• F 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• 0 points

Climate Adaptation Discussion

This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.

• F 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• F 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• 0 points

Climate Adaptation Discussion

This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.

• F 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• R 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• 0 points

Climate Adaptation Discussion

This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.

• R 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• 0 points

Climate Justice Discussion

Discussion for CLMT 5023: Climate Justice: Theory, Practice, and Policy.

• F 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Sheila Foster
  Info
• 0 points

Climate Justice Discussion

Discussion for CLMT 5023: Climate Justice: Theory, Practice, and Policy.

• F 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• F 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Sheila Foster
  Info
• 0 points

Climate Justice Discussion

Discussion for CLMT 5023: Climate Justice: Theory, Practice, and Policy.

• F 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Sheila Foster
  Info
• 0 points

Applied Integrative Seminar for Duals

The Applied Integrative Experience for Duals (1 credit) is a year-long, pass/fail program requirement that supports the integrative learning goals of students pursuing dual degrees between the MS in Climate and either the MS in Carbon Management (SEAS) or the MS in Architecture and Urban Design (GSAPP). Students engage in cross-school experiences and guided written reflections to deepen their understanding of how their dual programs intersect and support their professional aspirations.

Students are expected to work closely with their respective faculty advisors throughout the year to identify appropriate events and ensure that their integrative experiences and reflections align with their academic and professional goals. Advisor consultation is essential for shaping meaningful engagement during your time at the Climate School.

• Instructor: Alix Schroder
  Info
• 0.5 points