To ensure the effectiveness of solutions to the climate crisis, they will need to be based on sound, scientifically-based predictions of where and when impacts will occur. It is also necessary to recognize the challenges of forecasting changes in the natural environment and to take into account the social context affected by changes in that environment.
To this end, a joint initiative between EPFL and the University of Lausanne, the CLIMACT Center, was launched at the beginning of 2021 to promote innovation for the future of society and infrastructure in our changing world, as well as resilient and low-carbon pathways of socio-ecological-technical systems.
CLIMACT aims to support climate action applicable from mountaintops to city centers based on data-centric, evidence-based approaches coupled with novel technology and innovative solutions.
An interdisciplinary research hub on the consequences of climate change
Located in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud, CLIMACT will act as a hub for research on the consequences of climate change. It will initially rely on the existing competencies of the UNIL’s Faculty of Geosciences and Environment and the EPFL’s School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Branches of the two institutions located in the canton of Valais will also be involved: the ALPOLE (Alpine and Polar Environment) pole of research and the Interdisciplinary Center for Mountain Research.
In the long term, CLIMACT's research efforts will extend to the impacts of climate on health and well-being, on poverty and economic subsistence, as well as to the sustainable use and availability of resources.
