Instructional goals
The laboratory "Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION" aims to guide students through a training path designed to develop both theoretical and practical skills, essential for understanding, designing, and critically evaluating the dynamics of climate transition. In an era where environmental challenges are becoming increasingly complex and urgent, "Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION" seeks to offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary preparation, capable of integrating multiple perspectives and fostering a systemic and global vision of the climate crisis. The main objective of this laboratory is to provide students with the necessary tools to deeply analyze the issues related to climate change and to develop effective and innovative solutions that can respond to the real needs of our time. Through a multidisciplinary and transformative approach, "Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION" intends to stimulate critical reflection, promote collaboration, and encourage the development of project ideas that can contribute to concrete and sustainable processes of change.
Prerequisites
To participate, it is necessary to have basic knowledge in data analysis, solution design, and technological innovation, as well as a solid command of the English language. We are looking for candidates motivated to tackle complex and interdisciplinary challenges, capable of collaborating effectively in teams, solving problems, and proposing original solutions. It is important to demonstrate a creative and open mindset, strongly oriented toward innovation, combined with a high level of attention to meeting deadlines and schedules. Additionally, active participation throughout the entire program is essential.
Intended learning outcomes
“Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION" aims to develop practical, interdisciplinary, and innovative skills specifically oriented to addressing the complex challenges of the climate transition. The laboratory will engage students in project-based activities focused on concrete solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, integrating environmental, social, and economic aspects within innovation ecosystems.
Throughout the program, participants will acquire advanced skills in analyzing environmental and socioeconomic data, designing and prototyping models or project concepts, as well as developing strategies to implement concrete initiatives such as startups or funding proposals related to the ecological transition. Working in multidisciplinary teams supported by expert mentors, students will be guided to integrate principles of sustainability, resilience, and climate justice, promoting innovative solutions that uphold ethical values and fundamental rights.
Special attention will be given to understanding regulatory and normative frameworks, which are essential to developing projects capable of effectively responding to the challenges and risks associated with climate change. The laboratory also aims to stimulate transformative approaches, capable of dynamically adapting to emerging environmental and social crises.
At the end of the program, groups will present their proposals before a panel of industry experts, with the opportunity to further develop their projects into pilot initiatives or startups within innovation ecosystems. This will enrich their professional portfolio and open new pathways for entry into the labor market in strategic and continuously evolving sectors related to the climate transition.
Course Contents
The laboratory aims to guide students through a learning path that enables them to acquire both theoretical and practical skills essential for critically and consciously understanding, designing, and evaluating climate transition processes. In an increasingly complex environmental context, the goal is to offer a solid and comprehensive education capable of integrating diverse disciplinary perspectives. The approach adopted will be interdisciplinary, systemic, and transformation-oriented, aiming to foster a broad and interconnected vision of the dynamics characterizing the climate crisis and the possible response pathways.
The laboratory activities will be structured according to an active and participatory teaching methodology. Lessons will alternate between theoretical deepening, aimed at providing conceptual and analytical tools, and practical exercises, group work, simulations, and collective discussions, in order to stimulate interaction among students and promote critical and shared reflection. Ample space will be given to dialogue and collaboration, valuing individual contributions within a collective effort.From the very first meeting, students will be invited to engage with a series of "climate challenges"—real, complex, and current problems related to the climate crisis—presented as case studies or project scenarios. Each working group will adopt one of these challenges as the central theme of their journey within the laboratory. This choice will serve as the guiding thread for the entire project, which will be developed and progressively enriched over the course of 12 lessons. Group work will allow students to concretely experience the application of the tools they have acquired, addressing the selected problem in a creative, critical, and proactive manner. The entire course will be oriented not only toward understanding climate issues but also toward building innovative and sustainable proposals capable of activating real change processes in the contexts considered.
Reference Books
“Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION” does not require the adoption of mandatory textbooks. Reference materials will be identified and selected directly by the students during the activities, with the support of mentors. This approach reflects a teaching method based on active exploration and experiential learning, promoting autonomy in researching and evaluating sources relevant to the project objectives. Alongside the materials chosen independently, instructors and mentors may provide additional resources such as handouts, scientific articles, reports, and case studies to support the different phases of the work. Any further guidance regarding content will be provided directly during the course of each laboratory session.
Teaching Methods
Up-front teaching, challenge-based learning
Assessment Method
The course foresees a final presentation of the project work with feedback from the instructors and peers
Thesis assignment criteria
The final project for the “Z-LAB CLIMATE TRANSITION” laboratory will be evaluated based on a set of criteria that reflect the interdisciplinary, design-oriented, and transformative approach of the course. First and foremost, coherence with the themes addressed throughout the laboratory will be required, particularly with regard to the climate transition challenges selected by each group. Originality in the proposed solutions will be highly valued—specifically, the ability to develop innovative, sustainable, and contextually relevant ideas. It will be essential to demonstrate an effective application of the theoretical knowledge acquired, showing how it has been translated into practical, real-world proposals. Another key element will be the quality of the research work, with particular attention to the critical and informed use of reliable and up-to-date sources. The project must be well-structured, featuring clear storytelling, strong arguments, and effective communication and visual presentation. Environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the proposals will also be assessed, along with their feasibility in both the short and long term. Finally, a central component of the evaluation will be the learning journey itself: active participation during lessons, the quality of individual contributions within the group, commitment to collaborative activities, and the ability to integrate diverse skills into a shared design process will all be taken into account. This evaluation system aims to recognize not only the final outcome but also the learning process and personal growth experienced throughout the laboratory.
Week 1
Introduction
The laboratory begins with an introductory overview of the concept of climate transition, aiming to provide participants with a theoretical and practical framework of the context in which the course is set. The main causes of climate change are examined first, highlighting both anthropogenic and natural factors that contribute to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions and the disruption of global ecosystem balances. The responses that the international community has implemented in recent years are then analyzed.
This introduction provides the necessary conceptual framework to understand the urgency and complexity of the climate challenge, also emphasizing the need to rethink current development models in favor of new, more sustainable and equitable pathways. From this perspective, the laboratory focuses on the ability to imagine and design innovative solutions that can contribute to a just and effective transition.
Next, the thematic challenges of the course are presented: concrete and current problems related to the climate crisis, chosen to stimulate group work and the ideation of project interventions. Each participant group selects one of the proposed challenges, which will serve as the focus of their collective work throughout the duration of the laboratory.
At this initial stage, the Theory of Change (ToC) approach is also introduced, a fundamental methodological tool to guide the project work. The ToC allows for a clear and coherent mapping of the goals to be achieved, the activities to be undertaken, and the expected impacts, facilitating the construction of a realistic, measurable, and results-oriented change strategy. This approach enables participants to critically reflect on the link between actions and outcomes and to structure their project in a systemic and forward-looking way.
Week 2
Climate Transition and Long-Term Strategies
This lesson offers an integrated overview of the current state of the decarbonization process at the global level, with a comparative analysis of key trends in strategic geographic areas such as Europe, the United States, China, and India. The session begins with an examination of fundamental macroeconomic and energy indicators, useful for understanding the context in which various transition pathways are situated, with particular attention to enabling technologies and the role of public policies.
Building on this framework, the Theory of Change (ToC) is introduced as a methodological tool to design interventions capable of generating lasting impacts over time. The ToC helps clearly define how and why a set of actions can produce significant changes by mapping the connections between resources, activities, intermediate outcomes, and long-term impacts.
During the lesson, students will work in groups to build a first version of the ToC related to their own challenge, identifying hypotheses of change, systemic barriers, involved stakeholders, and strategic objectives. The meeting has a dual purpose: on one hand, to provide interpretive keys for critically understanding the global context of the climate transition; on the other hand, to offer a solid design approach to plan actions that produce concrete and sustainable effects in the long term.
Week 3
Stakeholder Management and Analysis in the Climate Transition
The climate transition is a complex and multidimensional process involving a wide range of actors, from public decision-makers to private companies, from civil society organizations to local communities. For an environmental sustainability intervention to be effective and lasting, it is essential to understand who the key stakeholders are, what interests and powers they hold, and how they interact within the context in which the intervention takes place.
This lesson focuses precisely on the identification and analysis of stakeholders as a crucial step in designing and managing climate transition initiatives. Methodological tools useful for mapping and assessing the actors involved will be introduced and explored in depth. Through concrete examples and case studies, participants will learn how to use these tools to develop a clear and strategic vision of the stakeholder landscape related to their challenge.
Working groups will directly apply these methodologies to their case studies, identifying the main stakeholders, analyzing their characteristics, and mapping potential dynamics of conflict, collaboration, and inclusion. Strategies to effectively engage different actors, manage conflicting interests, and build alliances functional to the success of the transition will also be explored.
Moreover, the lesson will encourage critical reflection on challenges related to equity and representativeness, themes particularly relevant in the context of climate justice, to ensure that participation in interventions does not exclude vulnerable or marginalized groups. In this way, students will be able to design climate interventions that are not only technically effective but also socially inclusive and politically sustainable.
Week 4
Technological Innovation and Climate Transition
The focus of this lesson shifts to technological innovation, recognized as one of the main drivers capable of accelerating the transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon development model. Fundamental concepts related to Technology Transfer will be explored — that is, the transfer and adaptation of innovative technologies across different contexts and territories — with particular attention to the challenges and opportunities this process entails.
The lesson will discuss the main barriers to technology diffusion, which can be economic, regulatory, infrastructural, or cultural in nature, and which often limit the ability to implement innovative solutions on a large scale. Central to this discussion will be the issue of scalability — the possibility of extending effective applications at local, regional, or global levels without losing efficiency or sustainability.
Another crucial aspect to be explored is the coherence of technologies with local contexts, since the effectiveness of technological solutions often depends on their ability to integrate with the social, economic, and environmental specificities of the territories in which they are applied. The importance of designing flexible and adaptable technological interventions will be emphasized — ones that can respond to the real needs of communities and promote active stakeholder engagement.
Finally, the lesson invites critical reflection on how these technologies can be integrated into projects in an effective and sustainable manner, considering not only technical and economic aspects but also social, environmental, and political implications. A project approach that fosters responsible innovation is encouraged — one capable of generating concrete and lasting benefits while minimizing risks and negative impacts.
Week 5
Future Scenarios for Strategic Planning in Climate Transition
This lesson aims to introduce students to the main qualitative and quantitative methods used in scenario building, providing analytical and design tools to explore and evaluate the multiple trajectories that the future may take.
Students will engage in a practical activity where they will define two distinct scenarios for their climate challenge, with a time horizon set at 2035 or 2050:
A desirable scenario, representing a preferable future characterized by sustainable development and the achievement of climate mitigation and adaptation goals.
A critical scenario, exploring possible problematic evolutions, highlighting risks, obstacles, and challenges that could undermine the expected positive outcomes.
Through this exercise, students will be encouraged to reflect on decision points and strategic forks that can influence the path toward one scenario or the other, recognizing the importance of planning with flexibility and awareness of uncertainties. The comparative analysis of scenarios will help develop a more comprehensive and dynamic vision of the climate transition, facilitating the definition of robust and adaptable strategies capable of seizing opportunities and managing risks in an ever-evolving context.
Week 6
Social Innovation and Cultural Transformation in the Climate Transition
The climate transition is not only a technological and regulatory challenge but also—and perhaps above all—a profound cultural and social transformation. To achieve a sustainable future, consumption models, community practices, and participation dynamics must radically change, generating new ways of living, working, and producing.
This lesson introduces the TRANSIT Theory, a theoretical and analytical framework that studies how transformative social innovations can become levers of systemic change, meaning they can modify structures, values, and relationships within society. The TRANSIT Theory helps to understand not only the processes through which these innovations emerge but also how they spread and integrate into different social, political, and economic domains.
Through the analysis of concrete cases, students will explore social innovation experiences that have contributed to promoting the ecological transition in a participatory and inclusive manner. Examples include:
Energy communities, where citizens and local businesses organize to produce and share renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and strengthening territorial belonging;
Food cooperatives, which promote short supply chains, responsible consumption, and sustainable agricultural practices, helping to renew the relationships between producers and consumers;
Local circular economies, which encourage reuse, recycling, and waste reduction through collaborative initiatives at the territorial level.
The objective of the lesson is to foster critical reflection on how these forms of social innovation can be integrated and enhanced within the climate transition projects the students are working on. The lesson will also discuss the necessary conditions to scale these experiences and overcome obstacles such as resistance to change, power inequalities, and institutional barriers.
Week 7
Sustainable Governance and the Challenges of Climate Transition
Climate change represents a complex and multidimensional challenge that requires a sustainable governance system capable of effectively coordinating a wide range of actors, institutional levels, and policy tools. This lesson focuses on governance as a crucial element for ensuring an integrated, inclusive, and responsible management of climate policies.
The session begins with an analysis of the various institutional scales involved in the climate transition—from the local level, where impacts and immediate responses are most tangible, to the national and supranational levels, where strategies, regulations, and international agreements are formulated. The lesson highlights the need for fluid synergy among these levels to avoid fragmentation and contradictions, and to maximize the effectiveness of interventions.
The concept of a "policy mix" will be explored in depth, referring to a coherent set of public policies that combine regulations, incentives, market-based instruments, awareness campaigns, and technological innovation to address the different dimensions of the climate transition in an integrated way.
Additionally, the lesson examines the key role of public institutions as coordinators within this complex system, as well as the need for them to adopt co-decision and cooperative approaches involving private stakeholders, local communities, civil society organizations, and the academic sector.
Week 8
Impact Assessment in the Climate Transition
To ensure that the solutions designed within the climate transition framework generate real, measurable, and lasting value, it is essential to adopt effective methods and tools for impact assessment. This lesson aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the approaches used to analyze the environmental, social, and economic effects of sustainability-related initiatives.
Tools such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) will be presented— a methodology that allows the quantification of the social and environmental benefits generated by a project in economic terms. This goes beyond simple financial evaluation by incorporating intangible and long-term values. Such an approach promotes a holistic and integrated view of impact, which is essential for guiding effective strategic and policy decisions.
Another key part of the lesson will focus on the development of environmental, social, and economic performance indicators that are valid, measurable, and useful for providing concrete data for ongoing monitoring. The discussion will also cover the challenges and opportunities related to data collection, information management, and interpretation of results, with particular attention to the adaptability of tools across different contexts and scales of intervention.
In the practical workshop, student groups will apply these concepts to their own projects by identifying the main expected impacts and proposing concrete methods for monitoring and evaluation. This exercise will help consolidate essential analytical and design skills to ensure that climate transition initiatives are effective, transparent, and capable of generating tangible long-term benefits.
Week 9
ools, Logics, and Strategies of Impact Investing
The success of the climate transition depends not only on the quality of technological and social solutions but also on the availability and effective management of financial resources. This lesson explores the new frontiers of sustainable finance, with a particular focus on innovative instruments emerging to support low-impact, high-social-value environmental projects and initiatives.
The session delves into financial tools such as green bonds, which are issued to finance specific environmental investments. These instruments allow investors to direct capital towards sustainable projects through a transparent and measurable mechanism. Also examined are climate funds, which specialize in allocating resources for mitigation and adaptation efforts, and blended finance strategies, which combine public and private funding to maximize investment effectiveness and reduce perceived risks.
A central focus of the lesson is the reflection on the concept of impact return, which complements and integrates the traditional notion of financial return. This broader perspective redefines the value of investments by including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) benefits, addressing the growing demand for finance that is not only profitable but also responsible and sustainability-oriented.
Week 10
Scenario Analysis
This lesson will focus on analyzing scenarios related to the ongoing global decarbonization process, providing a comprehensive overview of energy transformations in major regions of the world. It will begin with a review of key macroeconomic and energy indicators, with a particular focus on technologies that enable the transition to a low-carbon system.
The discussion will open with a general overview of global decarbonization trends, highlighting emission reduction patterns and transformations across different economic sectors in relation to energy consumption and the adoption of renewable sources. Key indicators such as CO₂ emission levels, the share of renewables in the energy mix, and investments in technological innovation will be examined in depth to outline both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the ongoing transformation.
Week 11
Innovative Corporate Governance Strategies for Climate Transition
In the context of climate transition, businesses play a crucial role and are increasingly required to adopt governance models that are not only efficient, but also innovative, regenerative, and sustainability-oriented. This lesson offers an in-depth overview of contemporary corporate governance strategies, highlighting how organizational structures can support the achievement of climate goals and social responsibility objectives.
The role of sustainable governance is explored as a strategic guide for decision-making, resource allocation, and risk management, with a long-term perspective.
The lesson also addresses the comparison between different international governance systems, emphasizing the cultural, regulatory, and structural differences that characterize global markets and their impact on business management practices. Particular attention is paid to governance models that have proven most effective in advancing climate sustainability.
A key topic is the issue of functional diversity within boards of directors, analyzing how targeted diversification—not only in terms of gender or age, but especially in skills, experience, and background—can enhance decision-making processes and increase governance effectiveness. Diversity is presented as a strategic lever to drive innovation, manage complexity, and respond more effectively to the challenges of the ecological transition.
Finally, the lesson introduces advanced tools for reputational risk management and tax compliance. These tools are essential to maintaining stakeholder trust and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the company.
Week 12
Final Presentation