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Interdisciplinary Global Research

World-leading researchers across campus and interdisciplinary research centers drive our efforts to understand and mitigate climate change.

Climate Science and Impacts

Encompassing the physical, dynamic and chemical interactions driving the earth’s current systemic changes and their effects on weather, biological ecosystems and human health.

Climate Science and Impacts

Adaptation and Solutions

Researching climate change mitigation strategies like energy alternatives and sustainable food and successful adaptation supported by sociology, psychology and communication expertise.

Adaptation and Solutions

Policy

Assessing and recommending policy to governments at all levels while seeking to understand other influences such as industry, nonprofits and multinational organizations.

Policy

Climate Justice

Advocating solutions from the perspective of applied ethics and philosophy while assessing climate change impacts on economically vulnerable and Indigenous populations.

Climate Justice

Leading With Informed Action and Education

Institutional and Individual Change Leaders

Strategic Significance

Understanding and Protecting the Planet is one of four grand research themes in the UC San Diego strategic plan.

Carbon Neutral Commitments

The University of California has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025, the first major university to do so.

Student-Led Action

More than 20 student groups offer myriad ways to get involved in climate change mitigation efforts across campus.

Rigorous Academic Opportunities

Degrees of Change

Students can choose from 14 undergraduate and 25 graduate-level degree programs related to climate change.

Climate Change Coursework

View a small sampling of climate change courses in divisions across campus from anthropology to urban planning.

Bending the Curve

This multifaceted solutions-focused course is available throughout the UC system and online public access.

Climate Science for All

Climate Change FAQs

Experts from Scripps Institution of Oceanography answer pressing questions about how climate change affects the planet and population.

Real-Time Monitoring

Our researchers invented many of the global and regional observing systems improving the world’s understanding of environmental change and hazards.

Educational Expertise

Find K-12 educational resources, hands-on learning opportunities and a specialized extension course for teaching climate change.

Climate News at UC San Diego