Explore Materials
Discover climate course materials and resources.
Search the shared repository of simulations, case descriptions and course syllabi to enhance your own climate-related teaching.
- Course
Most recently taught in Spring 2026.
Climate change represents one of the most significant challenges of our time, fundamentally driven by human activities and amplified by the rapid pace of industrialization and economic growth. At its core, climate change is as much a technological problem as it is an environmental one – enabled by outdated methods of energy production, inefficient resource management, and unsustainable infrastructure. At the same time, technology holds immense promise for solutions for mitigating emissions and adapting to the impacts of a warming planet.
American Innovation in Climate Tech is a spring semester elective course designed for Columbia Business School students to explore the cutting edge of innovation in climate technologies. It aims to provide students with exposure to a range of industries and companies at the forefront of innovation. We will explore the latest breakthroughs and emerging technologies for addressing climate impacts in energy generation, alternative fuels, grid modernization, mobility, decarbonized materials, agriculture, and carbon management. By analyzing recent advancements and engaging directly with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and project developers, students will gain practical insights into how new technologies are developed, piloted, and commercialized.
This course aims to empower students to actively participate in shaping technological solutions that are not only innovative, but have potential for commercial success and impact on climate mitigation or adaptation. San Francisco and Houston were chosen as anchor destinations because they showcase two distinct but complementary models of climate innovation. San Francisco, driven by venture capital, startup culture, and ambitious state climate policy, and Houston, leveraging its energy expertise, industrial base, and deregulated market to scale technologies. Together, these two areas of the country provide students with a unique opportunity to examine how business innovation will shape the response to climate change. This course relies heavily on participation and students should be prepared both for in class discussion and to speak with industry professionals during the trip.
- Topics on: Business, Technology
- Course
Most recently taught in Fall 2025.
Climate science informs us that global emissions of greenhouse gas emissions must be rapidly and dramatically reduced if humanity is to avoid catastrophic climate change. After three centuries of rising emissions, the entire global economy must now decarbonize in the coming three decades. Fortunately, most of the technologies and investment capital necessary to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions exist or are in development, but the urgency to implement those solutions is critical.
This course provides an overview of climate change, its effects on business, and how businesses can (and should) respond. The course covers emissions sources and their impact on climate change, followed by an exploration of the policy landscape, including current legislation, carbon markets, and climate justice. The course then evaluates current and evolving mitigation technologies, reviews the tools of climate finance, and considers strategies for reducing emissions to net zero. Finally, the course introduces the role of businesses in addressing climate change, including net-zero goals, actions they can take to mitigate their impact, and the perspectives of shareholders.
Throughout the course, the business case for climate action is emphasized, highlighting the economic benefits of taking action to address climate change.
NOTE: Business and Climate Change is a pre-requisite course for several other elective courses, including Climate Finance (B8363), Climate Policy (B8212), Climate Tech (B8320), and Climate Risk (B8233).
- Topics on: Business
- Course
Most recently taught in spring 2026.
Europe is at the forefront of climate policy globally. It has ambitious goals, concrete plans, and is working hard on the implementation. It is also facing significant challenges, from high energy costs to sluggish economic growth. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has been in a recession for 2 years. This class will explore climate through the lens of green industrial policy in Europe, with an eye toward hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement, the challenges facing companies in these sectors, and the opportunities a push into clean and low-carbon technologies provides.
You are not required but encouraged to enroll in B8212 Climate Policy concurrently during the Spring 2026 A-term, which will provide a broad survey of climate policy globally.
The course will travel to the EU during spring break 2026, visiting Germany and Belgium [and possibly the Netherlands]. We will begin the trip in Frankfurt and end in Brussels, requiring an EU Schengen visa. Global Immersion Program classes bridge classroom lessons and business practices in other countries. These three credit classes combine half a term in New York with a one-week visit, where students will meet with business executives and government officials while working on team projects. The 2025-2026 Global Immersion Program mandatory fee for all classes is $2100 and provides students with double occupancy lodging, ground transportation and some meals. It does not cover roundtrip international airfare. Attendance both in New York and in-country and regular participation are a crucial part of the learning experience and as such attendance is mandatory. Students who miss the first class meeting may be removed from the course. No program fee refunds will be given after the add/drop period has closed. Please visit the Chazen Institute website to learn more about the Global Immersion Program, and visit the Global Immersion Policies page to review policies affecting these courses. Please note all international travel involves risk. We do not control the cities and companies we visit. We try our best to plan a safe trip with positive experience. However, if your tolerance for risk or uncertainties is low, GIP is not for you.
- Topics on: Business, Decarbonization, Policy, Technology
- Course
This module provides a detailed discussion of the climate risks faced by corporations and financial institutions. Students will learn how climate data and climate models can be used to measure physical risks, that is the expected loss or damage of physical assets, such as residential and commercial properties, plants and equipment, caused by extreme weather events, for example, floods, windstorms, draughts and wildfires. The exposure of businesses to transition risks resulting from policy and legal changes as governments and societies adjust to lower carbon economies, will also be explored.
- Topics on: Operations
- Course
This course explores how strategic awareness and risk management influence the relationship between the business,
environment, and society. Students will learn to identify and manage risks associated with sustainability initiatives
through project-based learning. The course highlights the critical role of strategic planning and risk assessment in the
management of projects and their impact to business sustainability in a complex global landscape
- Topics on: Operations, Strategy
- Course
The traditional financial reporting model is deficient in two fundamental respects: (i) we set the cost of natural capital used by the business to zero; and (ii) we either under-emphasize or ignore accounting for externalities, both positive and negative, imposed by the business on other stakeholders.
The objective of this class is exploring one major aspect of natural capital and its attendant risks—related to climate. The focus is mostly on how companies, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, measure, disclose, govern and hence manage (or sometimes mis-manage) climate risk exposures.
The Paris Agreement of 2015 was meant to mobilize a global response to the threat of climate change, amid growing concerns by scientific experts, as documented in a series of IPCC reports. Since the Paris agreement was signed, hundreds of firms have made net zero emissions promises. Regulators and the investment community has been pushing firms to evaluate their climate risk exposure and the impact thereof on the firm’s business model and value drivers.
- Topics on: Operations
- Course
The course takes an operations point of view to look at companies and industries in the service sector. It builds on conceptual frameworks and draws upon examples from a wide range of service operations: health care, hospitality, transportation, retailing, food service, financial services, among others. Note that this course has a point of view. It focuses on how to design and manage operations to create value for customers, employees, and investors simultaneously. It is possible to create value for investors by leaving customers or employees behind. Consistent with the mission of MIT Sloan, we will not learn how to do that.
Introduction to Operations Management course (15.761) is a pre-requisite or co-requisite for this course. The course is primarily case based. There is also a course project (see below).
- Topics on: Operations, Technology
- Course
Many of us at MIT share a dream to “do well by doing good” – to apply our talents in ways that solve important world problems while generating enough revenue to grow a healthy business. The real world exhibits varying degrees of this phenomenon. We hope all MIT graduates joining the private sector plan to help their enterprises operate with integrity and care for all stakeholders, in order to mitigate any harmful negative externalities.
But it is rarer to successfully innovate for impact, that is, develop products and services that actively improve the world as they grow. It turns out that growth, profit, and positive impact are in constant tension with one another, as are different dimensions of impact. Breaking these tradeoffs is possible but extraordinarily challenging.
- Topics on: Finance, Impact, Operations, Policy
- Course
This course provides a framework to describe and formulate an operations. Furthermore, decisions about different areas of operations must be consistent with each other. Choices about facilities, capacity, vertical integration, process technology, control and information systems, sourcing, human resources, organization and other areas are all strategic choices that significantly affect what the business brings to the marketplace.
This course will examine how these strategic decisions can be made in a coherent manner to enable an organization’s business strategy. It will also emphasize operations design as a source of competitive advantage. The course will highlight the importance of the triple bottom line: how organizations should consider financial, environmental, and social performance/impacts in an integrated manner to achieve real sustainability.
- Topics on: Operations
- Course
Introduction to System Dynamics and this course have been combined as of 2020.
Focuses on developing the skills and tools needed to successfully apply systems thinking and simulation modeling in diverse real-world settings, including growth strategy, management of technology, operations, public policy, product development, supply chains, forecasting, project management, process improvement, service operations, and platform-based businesses, among others.
Uses simulation models, management flight simulators, and case studies to deepen conceptual and modeling skills beyond what is introduced in 15.871. Exploring case studies of successful applications, students develop proficiency in how to use qualitative and quantitative data to formulate and test models, and how to work effectively with senior executives to successfully implement change. Prepares students for further work in the field. Meets with 15.871 in first half of term when offered concurrently. Students taking 15.871 complete additional assignments
- Topics on: Economics, Operations, Policy
- Course
Climate change and biodiversity loss are existential threats to the planet, our own health and well-being, and the global economy. The course will identify several key players and leverage points in the capital market and elaborate on whether and how a “systems change” could be achieved to tackle these urgent challenges. In addition to governments and NGOs, the mobilization of capital markets plays a pivotal role. To mobilize capital markets, a thorough understanding of capital markets as well as the mechanisms and obstacles at work is required, as well as innovative solutions that overcome these obstacles. This course will provide a deep dive into several financial innovations that aim to overcome these obstacles and help mobilize capital markets to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss at the system level. In this course, students will learn to think at the system-level, to understand the opportunities and challenges faced in mobilizing capital markets, and to assess concrete obstacles and whether and how financial innovations can bring scalable solutions for the benefit of society.
- Topics on: Finance, Operations, Strategy
- Course
After providing background on climate change risk and how it is modeled, the course covers important risk management and financial topics, such as the appropriate discount rate for valuing expected climate damages, potential impediments to private market incentives for adaption, mitigation, insurance, and financing of innovation to reduce GHG emissions. Public policy responses are then discussed. The last third of the course will focus on the impact of climate change risk on insurance and securities markets. The course is designed for Risk Management and Insurance Majors and Finance Majors who are interested in applying risk management and financial concepts and tools to issues raised by climate change.
- Topics on: Finance, Investing, Operations, Policy
- Course
Most recently taught Summer 2025
Often, our progress toward the remediation of persistently accumulating human damage to our collective home, the biosphere, is attributed to large-scale entities having a rather amorphous quality. Such are the industrial revolution, the global north, capitalism, colonialism, and countless preoccupied, habituated or denialist components of the human population. Yet, the dynamics of all types of leadership and management, whether in public, civic or private organizations, frequently push back on the progress desired, in more specific ways. These dynamics are so characteristic that climate ethics, an offshoot of environmental ethics, may seem to be cornered or futile. However, looking more closely at the essential functions of leadership and management, we may find the possibilities of change for the better: change that reverses climate change, or more widely, unsustainability. Conversely, we may find inadequate possibilities for such critical change.
The World Bank has estimated the global cost of corruption alone to be at least $2.6 trillion, or 5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). Businesses and individuals pay over $1 trillion in bribes annually, which does not account for billions of dollars of both humanitarian and development aid that pass clandestinely from public to private hands, billions lost to tax evasion, and billions funneled to and from illegal trafficking. In addition, it does not account for billions of dollars enmeshed in conflicts of interest, ranging from campaign donations to regulatory loopholes and “private gain from public office”. All such transactions occur in globally widespread, yet deeply cryptic arenas. In this money-based environment, “what is just” in the distribution of programmatic goods fluctuates continuously, depending upon whose participation is permissible, assessable, and verifiable in decision processes. Some voices are loudly heard, others are barely heard, and still others are unheard; and the difference depends significantly upon the existing distribution of wealth, including the gateway conditions it projects, particularly power and privilege. The money funneled away could be used beneficially, but is instead wasted, as humans are, deprived of their lives and their strivings together with ecosystems, also wasted.
In this course, leadership and management are explored to determine their dynamics are and how these afflict our biospheric home—including virtually all life. The course is divided into 4 sections, the 1st is two weeks long, the 2nd and 3rd are each four weeks long, and the 4th is two weeks long. The topic of the 1st section is climate ethics, their content and context: how they work and how they are tripped by surrounding problematic discourses. The topic of the 2nd section is leadership: at its becomingly best, and how it demeans itself with incapability, irresponsibility and corruptibility. The topic of the 3rd section is management: at its operationally best, and how it degrades itself with dysfunctional hierarchy, captive systematization, and offensive behavior. The topic of the 4th section reverts to climate ethics: the necessity of accruing and maintaining value—of the right kind, and the necessity of creating and applying guidance—of the right kind. It is not only because the impacts of problematic ways of doing things are harmful to the biosphere but also because those impacts have others, which are increasingly desperate, rancorous and volatile.
- Topics on: Planning
- Course
Most recently taught Summer 2025
Computing and data analysis have become an indispensable tool for researchers and industry professionals working in virtually any aspect of the modern world. This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts and methods that are broadly applicable to any data science project, with a thematic focus on climate and environmental data. This includes an introduction to Unix, programming, common data formats, analysis, and visualization. The primary focus will be to teach students the foundations of Python in a climate data science context, which is of the most widely used and accessible programming languages today. Students will also be introduced to cloud computing, which will be the primary tool for in class assignments and projects.
The course is designed to be accessible for any students with an interest in being able to ask and answer questions using data. This course will also be invaluable for those looking to interact with scientists and engineers, manage scientific projects, and develop policies in the realm of climate science and sustainability.
- Topics on: Analytics, Data Science
- Course
The modern civilization that we take for granted today is built upon the cornerstones of water and wastewater utility. However, after 100 years of proliferation, our conventional approach to providing these utilities is undergoing a reinvention: one driven by the need to support societal growth while protecting public health, providing economic sustainability and resiliency against future climate change, and reducing resource consumption. The Utility of the Future will require managers, engineers and scientists with strong technical foundations applied through the lens of sustainability. This class in Sustainable Water Treatment and Reuse will provide its students with the tools needed for a career working with a new generation of infrastructure. The first half of the course will cover fundamentals of site water balance and water and wastewater treatment, such as introduction to physical, chemical and biological treatment processes, and advanced treatment processes for water reuse. The second half of the course will cover the mass-energy balance, economics, carbon footprint of Water Resource Recovery Facilities for energy recovery and nutrient recovery. Case studies, site visits and guest lecturers will focus on the use of decentralized planning and treatment concepts to provide resiliency in our infrastructure systems. Coursework will expose students to the technical and economic factors involved in delivering feasible projects.
- Topics on: Engineering, Food, Resilence
- Course
Most recently taught 2025
This course will provide students with a detailed, practice-oriented understanding of global climate policy, regulation and litigation, as these are developing at the international level and in a number of jurisdictions around the world – with a particular focus on the United States, the European Union and China.
Foundations – The course will begin with a brief political history of corporate sustainability – from “CSR” to “ESG” – and the intellectual frameworks that, to this day, underpin sustainability and climate-related corporate sector policy. We will understand how the different acronyms have represented different stages and understandings of corporate conduct and stakeholder welfare, and how these characterise both debate and policy around ESG in our days.
This section will include an overview of key concepts and terms related to carbon and ESG.
Regulation – In the second part of the course, we will dive into the mechanics of how companies are being regulated in respect of sustainability (and particularly climate).
Classes will address in detail recent evolutions in global regulation of climate disclosures, but also green taxonomies, supply chain due diligence and director liability.
Our regulatory review will address both national frameworks (from the U.S. to Europe and beyond) and global voluntary standards. It will also include a discussion of corporate transition plans, net zero alliances and the related antitrust challenges – and the policies that are likely to develop around this.
We will also explore in some detail the ongoing political debate that is developing around climate regulation in the U.S. (from Congress, to States, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court), and how this debate is likely to evolve and affect future policy on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Carbon – The third part of the course will focus on carbon.
We will begin with a basic review of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting rules, and then turn to carbon markets (both voluntary and compliance) and carbon offsets.
We will then turn to green deals and green public spending, and explore in some detail various “clean technology” alternatives – from nuclearenergy to solar & wind, carbon capture and geoengineering – and the comparative costs, advantages and limitations of each.
Sustainable finance – The fourth part of the course will be dedicated to the wide wild world of “sustainable finance”.
We will start by looking at numbers and trends in impact investing and the various financial products that have been animating this space, from ESG funds to green bonds and loans, derivative instruments and so on – all the way to blended finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
We will the dedicate one class to exploring the role and evolution of the various service providers that populate the sustainable finance ecosystem – in particular ESG ratings, benchmarks and ESG data providers.
Litigation, geopolitics – Our course’s final classes will address potentially a range of related topics, chosen also in response to the interests expressed by the students. This may include: sustainability and climate-related litigation against companies and boards; shareholder activism; the geo-politics of net zero; climate justice; and a vertical focus on certain jurisdictions (such as China or India).
No prior knowledge of U.S. or EU law are assumed or needed in order to take part in the course.
- Topics on: ESG, Impact, Net Zero, Net Zero Strategies, Policy
- Course
This course focuses on three questions:
1. What should the world do about climate change? This is a normative question. Answering it requires an understanding of the science and impacts of climate change, of the technological options for addressing climate change, and of the economics and ethics of pursuing different options.
2. Why do all the world’s countries say that a lot must be done about climate change, and then fail to do what is needed to achieve this goal? This is a positive question. Answering it requires an understanding of politics, international law, international relations, and game theory.
3. How can the world do better? This is a question of strategy. Answering this question requires all the tools listed above, especially game theory and history. All three questions lie at the heart of climate policy and diplomacy. By the end of this course, you will not only be able to answer these questions; together with other students, you will also have made a start in designing a more promising approach to limiting future climate change.
- Topics on: Policy
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
Historically, the private sector (both financial markets and the corporate sector) were perceived to be either neutral bystanders on policy action or, more often, standing in the way of advancing climate-friendly policies. Over the past decade or so, as the concept of integrating sustainability factors into decision-making became mainstream, the private sector developed a narrative around voluntary action and climate leadership – “doing well by doing good… Win-win-win!”
However, it has become increasingly clear that voluntary action is either insufficient or worse, a way to delay, distract and derail policy action. Greenwashing scandals, political pressures in the US, as well as improving research around lobbying against climate policies by corporates that claimed to support such, underscored that when faced with a choice between doing well and doing good, doing well usually wins.
This does not imply that the private sector cannot do well by doing some good — improved brand equity and strong stakeholder relationships are key to ensuring long term financial sustainability. It does imply, however, that we need policy action to protect the public interest and that the private sector actors cannot be leaders without playing a constructive, positive role, or at least not get in the way. Identifying opportunities for capital markets actors to lead on policy action is the core thesis of this course.
- Topics on: ESG, Policy, Reporting and Measurement
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
This is a course to build up the foundation for multidisciplinary research on energy harvesting (solar, wind, heat, vibration, and wave), ranging from small to large energy scales. The topics include: Criterion of harvesting, identification of energy sources. Theory of vibrations of discrete and continuous system, random vibration, measurement and analysis. Motion mechanism design. Selection of materials for energy conversion, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, thermoelectric, photovoltaic, etc. Design and characterization, modeling and fabrication of vibration, motion, wind, wave, thermal gradient, and light energy harvesters; resonance phenomenon, power electronics and energy storage and management. Case studies for applications of industrial systems, surveillance, automobiles and the human body.
Pre-requisite: Graduate or senior undergraduate students
- Topics on: Energy, Engineering
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
This course is designed to help students understand the climate tech and innovation ecosystem and employ practical ways to professionally engage in it. Climate tech and its diffusion are critical to decarbonizing our economy and represent an unprecedented economic opportunity. To realize the promise of a low-carbon economy, new practitioners must join the innovation ecosystem and drive it forward. This course prepares students to do so.
The course starts by framing what climate tech means (i.e., all technologies focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change) and how climate tech innovation will occur (i.e., as a complex process including co-evolution of technology, regulations, infrastructure, and consumer behavior). It then provides an overview of the innovation value chain including various stakeholders and avenues for professional involvement. It concludes by diving into sectors with innovation opportunities. Considerations of equity and just transition are covered throughout.
It is a full-semester on-campus elective course open to any SUMA student, or student across CU academic programs who is interested in climate entrepreneurship, investing, and technology innovation. The course includes 13 two-hour convenings, with interactive lectures, regular practitioner guests, class discussions, and assignment presentations. Students will get exposure to and think about the various career paths in the “innovation economy.” Students are assumed to have limited previous exposure to the startup venture building ecosystem or decarbonization pathways.
- Topics on: Technology