Climate change is one of the most significant challenges that humanity has to face. The average temperature of the planet has increased by 0.98 °C compared to pre-industrial levels and the trend observed since 2000 indicates that, without action, this could reach +1.5 °C between 2030 and 2050.
The impact of global heating is already clear. Arctic sea ice has decreased, on average, by 12.85% per decade, while coastal tide records show an average annual increase of 3.3 millimetres in sea level since 1870. The last decade (2009-2019) was the hottest ever recorded and 2020 was the second hottest year ever, just under the maximum set in 2016. This situation puts the survival of large swathes of humanity at risk and entails potentially catastrophic consequences for the whole planet.
The project
The project of the Department of Law of the University of Genoa aims to establish a multidisciplinary environment for finding innovative solutions and pursuing the climate goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The main purpose of the doctoral programme is to create a society that can withstand the calamities caused by the climate emergency, as well as preventing and reducing their impact. Moreover, the involvement of young doctoral students constitutes an essential step in supporting the socio-economic development of younger generations, who are called upon to face the environmental damage caused by previous generations. A shared, inter-generational effort, to stem the consequences of the climate crisis, is, therefore, needed. To accomplish this goal, an interdisciplinary and multi-level education must be provided, structured across six different courses: Earth system and environment; Socio-economic risks and impacts; Technology and territory; Theories, institutions and cultures; Agriculture and forestry; Health and ecosystems. The organisation of curricular and extra-curricular meetings encourages an approach in which ideas and topics concerning the environment, society, technology, the economy, and health are integrated into a shared vision.
The collaboration between doctoral students with different training is indicative of the innovative nature of this proposal. Its organisation into different courses, divided by topic, will enable students to work in interdisciplinary groups on questions relating to sustainability and climate change. As a result, they will be able to analyse a problem from different perspectives and engage in discussion with experts in various fields of knowledge. The discussion, critique, and suggestions offered by colleagues on projects presented in various areas will help the doctoral students develop a multi-level and interdisciplinary approach and ensure that everyone can understand information about their research.
The beneficiaries
The "PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change" project involves more than 100 specialised doctoral students who wish to apply and deepen their knowledge and expertise in a multidisciplinary scientific environment, so as to become the pioneers of a more sustainable social paradigm. The panorama of indirect beneficiaries consists of the academic world, which is enriched by a new inter-university network, and society in general, since the research focuses on developing new sustainable development models and promoting concrete solutions in response to the climate emergency. The beneficiaries’ independence is ensured by a supervisor, i.e. a professor expert in the subject, who works alongside each of them, assisting the doctoral student for the whole project.
Project name: PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Proposing organisation: University of Genoa - Department of Law
Project intervention area: Environment and Sustainable Communities