Program LMU Munich Climate School 2026

Prof. Dr. Julia Pongratz

How does the greenhouse effect work? What are tipping points all about? How do we know that the current climate change is due to humans? Can we still meet the 2 degree target? In this overview lecture, we highlight the most fundamental physical connections between human activity and the natural Earth system -- knowledge that can easily be used to refute popular climate skeptic arguments. Simplified in climate models and packed onto high-performance computers, these relationships provide us with predictions of how the climate will evolve in the future. We address the main driver of current climate change -- fossil and land-use emissions -- and make an informed speculation about whether we have already reached "peak emissions". Last, we discuss how to meet the Paris targets for limiting global warming and the challenges we face in doing so.

Tobias Nützel

Earth system models are important tools to strengthen our understanding of the global climate system based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of its components (atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, land, and biosphere) and their interactions and feedbacks. Earth system models are also widely used to project potential climate futures under a wide range of scenarios.  

In this practice module, we will get a first impression of how Earth system models and its sub-components work. With the help of simple climate models, we will understand fundamentals of the climate system and approximate “What if”-questions (e.g. How would global temperature be without certain components of the earth system such as the ocean taking up heat? How does global temperature change in response to emission pulses of different greenhouse gases? How does global temperature change in response to large-scale modifications of the land surface such as large-scale re-/afforestation?). We will also compare our answers with output from complex Earth system models as used in the latest IPCC reports and discuss similarities and differences.

Prof. Dr. Henrike Rau

Drawing on a growing body of social-scientific work on climate change, this lecture examines how collectively held views of climate change and related practices vary significantly both within and between societies, producing divergent climate cultures. Calls for rapid and radical action, underpinned by alarmist views of climate change, contrast with more sceptical takes and variants of climate change denial. Moreover, there are perspectives that treat climate change as a manageable problem that requires measured action, contrasting with more radical perspectives that call for immediate action across a range of core policy areas. Considering the politics and practice of climate action, it emerges that climate cultures that dominate in elite circles, including among many scientists and decision makers, may prescribe courses of action that either bear no resemblance to or actually clash with the everyday experiences and practices of many citizens.

Dr. Cecilia Scorza-Lesch

Prof. Dr. Herwig Stibor

The biological effects of climate change are often seen in the context of individual species adapting to higher temperatures. However, species never live in isolation, but in association with other species with which they interact in complex ways. These interactions (competition, predation, symbiosis) influence both the extent of possible adaptations of individual species to environmental changes and their effects on regional and global biochemical cycles. Additionally, climate change is more than just increasing temperatures. Using examples from aquatic ecosystems, the complex interactions between temperature, the physical and chemical environment and biological adaptations are presented and discussed.

Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel

Since William Nordhaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2018 (for integrating climate change into long-term macroeconomic analysis), climate economics research has become more widely known. However, economists have been working on the economic impacts and consequences of climate change, the estimation of economic costs of mitigation and adaptation, international climate agreements and the design of climate policies for much longer. The module first gives a brief overview of the topics that climate economists deal with. Subsequently, the following topics will be dealt with exemplarily:

1. Approaches and challenges in assessing the effects of climate change, the so-called social costs of carbon.

2. Approaches to integrating climate impacts into economic decisions through CO2 pricing, and presentation and brief discussion of a climate economic model in the tradition of Nordhaus.

Prof. Dr. Markus Vogt

Climate protection as a right of freedom; synergies and conflicts between climate protection and poverty reduction; "common but differentiated responsibilities of nations"; global egalitarianism in climate justice? Models: "responsibility and capacity" vs. "contraction and convergence"; the CO2 budget approach; CO2 tax or certificate trading as a way to overcome market failure?

Prof. Dr. Christian Walter

This module aims at providing an overview of the international legal framework of climate protection. It will address the relationship between the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change of 1992 (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015. The combat against climate change will be put into the overall context and development of international environmental law. However, the main focus of the presentation is on an analysis of the main mechanisms provided for under the Paris Agreement.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Satzger/Dr. Nicolai v. Maltitz

In the intensification of the "climate crisis", responsibility for climate change and consequential climate damage is currently moving more and more into the focus of the (world) public. In this context, our module on "Climate Criminal Law" explores the question of what role (criminal) prohibition and sanction standards can play as part of an efficient climate policy. We therefore will take a closer look at the possibility of penalising climate-damaging behaviour.

Annika Kolbe, M.A.

In this modul, we take a comparative perspective on the factors affecting the adoption and implementation of national climate policies. We analyse, which factors affect the extent to which national governments respond to problems of climate change by adopting new policies and programs. Moreover, we take a closer look at the question of and to what extent these policy ambitions are actually matched by corresponding administrative capacities for effectively implementing these measures.

PD Dr. med. Günter Fröschl

Climatic conditions have an impact on vectors of infectious diseases. Changes in these environmental factors do therefore bring about changing epidemiological patterns of vector-borne diseases. This talk will give an overview over the most important vector-borne diseases, their corresponding vectors, and the influence of climate change. Some examples of already changing epidemiological patterns will be given next to an outlook on what physicians and citizens will have to expect in the future.

Prof. Dr. Katja Radon/Bernarda Espinoza Castro

One Health is an approach that looks to humans, animals, and the environment as connected and interdependent entities. Within this holistic and interdisciplinary approach, climate change is of critical importance because it unfolds severe and ever-increasing impacts on the health of humans and more-than-humans alike. This session will give you a first inside into looking at climate change through the One Health lens. If we gain your interest, you might also be interested in taking part in our international game-based online course (https://www.cih.lmu.de/education/short-term-courses/one-health-and-climate-change-course).

This module will bring a climate change problem through the One Health perspective, exemplifying its potential for the prevention and mitigation of impacts and the continuation of solutions. In a role-playing game, participants will personify and explore the standpoints of different actors and generate ideas to help a city suffering from climate change-related health issues.

Prof. Dr. Liang Emlyn Yang

What impacts of climate change should we expect? How can societies not only cope with these changes but also build resilience to the impacts? What achievements and progress have already been made, and what options exist for strengthening resilience in the future?

This seminar introduces participants to the diverse impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human communities worldwide, with a special focus on coping strategies and measures. We will examine how different societies have developed strategies that reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity, such as early-warning systems, climate-smart agriculture, flood and drought preparedness, community-based risk planning, and nature-based solutions. Through global overviews and selected case studies, we will explore real-world examples of communities, policies, and innovations that have successfully enhanced their resilience to climate impacts. Building on this, we will discuss the feasibility and potentials of resilience development — technical, economic, and cultural—and how these factors shape a resilience perspective to climate change. Drawing on recent findings from the IPCC and EU-funded research projects, the seminar combines empirical evidence, model-based insights, and emerging conceptual approaches. It will show how resilience thinking offers a positive, forward-looking framework for navigating climate change impacts today and in the future.

Prof. Dr. Christian Fries

Integrated assessment models combine geophysical climate models (e.g. how CO2 concentration influences temperature) with economic models (e.g. how the economy impacts CO2 concentration and how a rise in temperature damages the economy).

Interest rates are relevant in assessing present and future damages as they determine how they may be compared.

This approach bears some interesting (philosophical) questions related to inter-generational equity once the underlying financial principles are understood.

In this presentation, we will give an elementary introduction to a simple integrated assessment model (the DICE model), an elementary introduction to interest rates and interest rate models and discuss the role of interest rates in climate models and intergenerational equity.

Dr. Maria Stockenreiter

The Climate School lecture about global change and aquatic ecosystems (Stibor) will show that climate change can have far-reaching impacts on lake ecosystems and the organisms that rely on them. Our excursion will provide hands on experience and observation of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a lake ecosystem. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change on lakes and other ecosystems. It allows us to gain an understanding of the interdependent relationships between living and nonliving components of the ecosystem, and how they are affected by various natural and human-induced factors. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to grasp the diversity of species and adaptations present in a lake ecosystem, and the importance of conservation efforts to preserve these unique habitats. Overall, this excursion will enhance our understanding of lake ecosystems and the need for further research. We will visit a pond in the English Garden where we will dive into the world of plankton and discuss possible effects of climate change. Each participant will have the opportunity to observe plankton organisms closely. Current research questions in aquatic ecology and possible applications can be discussed.

Dr. Gabriel Târziu

Climate change is one of the most important phenomena of our time. Most people, from all walks of life (teachers, farmers, artists, doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists, etc.), and of all ages are interested in it. Yet despite the robust scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, it continues to face denial, scepticism, and politicization. This lecture explores the philosophical dimensions of these issues.

We will pursue two goals. The first one is to learn a little bit about what exactly characterizes the philosophical perspective on the problem of climate change and why such a perspective is important. The second thing that we will do is to examine how trust in science is formed, justified, and sometimes undermined, especially in politically charged contexts. Key questions include: What distinguishes legitimate dissent from denialism? What role do non-epistemic values play in shaping public trust? And how should science communicate uncertainty without eroding credibility?

Dr. Jan Petzold

This lecture explores emerging global trends in climate risk and adaptation through the lens of the IPCC’s integrated risk framework, emphasising the interplay of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. Drawing on the latest IPCC assessments, it highlights diverse types of climate risks across sectors and regions, particularly in vulnerable communities, while underscoring the growing urgency for ‘transformational adaptation’. The lecture introduces the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI), a pioneering effort to systematically map and track adaptation actions worldwide. The lecture further presents mixed-methods case study research from coastal cities in the Global South, including urban megacities in Southeast Asia and coastal protection in Small Island Developing States, illustrating how socio-ecological dynamics, governance structures, and local knowledge shape adaptive capacity. By bridging global data with local realities, the lecture calls for strengthened transdisciplinary collaboration and institutional restructuring to enhance resilience in the face of accelerating climate change.

Prof. Dr. Imke Hoppe

How people think and feel about climate change largely depends on the sources they use to get informed about the topic. In climate change communication, various actors (e.g., scientists, politicians, journalists, NGOs, movements, etc.) strive to make their voices heard, and most people receive climate-related information through (digital) journalistic and social media. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the diverse ways in which different actors represent – or frame – climate change—whether in texts, visuals, or multimodal combinations.

This talk will delve into the sources that people use to learn about climate change, with a specific focus on (digital) journalistic and other media representations of climate change—both textual and visual. The discussion will address the reasons for variations, typical actors involved, voices of skepticism/denial, the psychological proximity or distance in representations of climate change, and will briefly reflect on the implications for audiences receiving climate change information.