Climate Finance

6 ECTS

Climate change is one of the critical challenges of this century. In this course, students will learn about the role of finance for the low carbon transition in developing as well as industrialized countries. We will discuss existing policies, their effectiveness and the underlying political economy challenges to implement them.

Sustainability and Development: Policies, Impacts and Research Methods

3 ECTS

Developing countries face both opportunities and challenges in sustainable transitions. For instance, while they offer potential for carbon reduction, more resource equity, and economic diversification, they may also induce short-term costs, be limited by technological capabilities, and require policy and behavior change. This course focuses on the methods and tools needed to evaluate the impact of policies aimed at fostering such change in developing countries, as well as the broader effects these transitions have on people, economies, and the environment.

Designing Public Policy – Special Issue: Nature’s Design Lab: Crafting Policies and Change in the Wild

with Prof. Annette Diefenthaler & Martin Wählisch (United Nations)

2 ECTS

Our current reality is shaped by complex challenges that require us to fundamentally rethink our relationship with the planet we live on. In this module, you will embark on a learning experience beyond the confines of the classroom: Students from diverse disciplines are invited to an immersive journey into nature, design, and innovation, fostering an environment of creative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Financial Economics of Climate and Sustainability

6 ECTS (only for PhD and Postdocs)

The course is part of a global initiative led by Harvard University to educate the next generation of climate finance scholars. It covers a range of topics, from the integration of climate change impacts into economic and financial theories, sustainable investment, climate-related risk assessment, as well as the economic and financial dynamics of corporations, households, and financial institutions in the context of decarbonization. The course runs weekly from February 4 to April 29, 2025, for more information please visit TUMOnline.

To apply, please send an email with subject: “Application to FECS class 2025” to clemens.lehofer@tum.de. The email should contain the title of your PhD or main research project and a 200-word motivation. Deadline for applications is 9 January 2025.