CLIMACT
Center for Climate Impact and Action
UNIL & EPFL
Climate change is drastically affecting the world’s ecosystems and human societies. The frequency of extreme weather events such as floods or droughts is increasing, putting a strain on infrastructure, and causing many casualties. On a global level, rising sea levels, new pandemics and increasing desertification can be clearly linked to climate change.
But all is not lost, on the contrary. There is still time to adapt to climate change and limit its extreme effects by committing ourselves globally to keep the increase in temperature below +2°C, or better +1.5°C. To achieve this, we must rapidly and permanently move away from fossil fuels.
We need to massively finance renewable energy, including solar, geothermal and wind. We must capture and sequester emissions that cannot be eliminated, eat more fresh products and less meat, use trains instead of planes, and bicycles instead of cars. Finally, we must review our unrealistic economic and financial growth targets, considering planetary limits.
- Nicolas Tetreault, executive director CLIMACT
CLIMACT (Climate Impact and Action Centre), through its community and activities, is committed to an equitable, inclusive and sustainable society focused on collective well-being.
Affiliated to UNIL (University of Lausanne) and EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne), CLIMACT officially launched its activities in June 2021. The research centre is directed by Prof. Julia Steinberger and Prof. Michael Lehning (academic co-directors) and Dr Nicolas Tétreault (executive director). The centre encourages all UNIL and EPFL faculties to contribute to the fight against climate change and its impacts. It responds to the need not only to consolidate research and innovation activities related to climate change, but also to give visibility to climate action.
News & Articles
Inform about climate issues, explain the most recent scientific discoveries, dialogue with Swiss experts, highlight solutions for a sustainable transformation of our society.
New EDGE White Paper shows extreme level of fragmentation of rooftop PV policy in Switzerland
Discover the interview of Tobias Schmidt, professor of Energy and Technology policy at ETH Zurich and Isabelle Stadelmann, professor of Political Sciences at UNIBERN
Isabelle Stadelmann
Professor of Political Sciences UNIBE
Tobias Schmidt
Professor of Energy and Technology ETH Zurich
Climate emotions: what if in 2023 we tried to face them?
10 tips to better cope with eco-anxiety
Are you familiar with the "Lancet Countdown on health and climate change"? You should, it is good for your health!
Published annually, the report is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration dedicated to monitoring the changing health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of whether governments around the world are meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Events
Designed to help find high-impact, interdisciplinary solutions through direct dialogue with key actors engaged in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Climate-Neutral Aviation: how will it affect communities, companies, citizens?
Mar 1, 2023
16:15 - 18:15
EPFL Campus (Auditorium CO2)
NEW DATE! "Happy New (School) Year" networking drink
Feb 23, 2023
17:00 - 19:00
Vortex Coffee&Food
Our Projects
Promoting concrete actions based on interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research as well as on a systemic approach to address the social, scientific, and technological challenges associated with climate change.