Italian universities launch climate-focused research and media initiatives

The University of Turin has launched ‘Mind the Climate,’ a participatory research project designed to investigate the connection between climate change and psychological well-being. Through a dedicated app, citizens can provide anonymous data regarding sleep quality, mood, stress, and mental health. This data will be correlated with local meteorological and environmental factors, such as heatwaves and air quality. The project is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Ideaginger.it to reach a €7,000 goal, which would trigger an additional €7,000 match from the University of Turin.

Simultaneously, the University of Milan and the Climate Media Center Italy (CMC) have introduced ‘Breaking Climate.’ This initiative aims to improve climate change communication in the media. The project includes a series of training sessions for journalists, starting with a briefing on COP31 in collaboration with the Lombardy Order of Journalists. The program seeks to bridge the gap between scientific research and journalism, helping reporters connect climate crisis data to real-world impacts on economy, health, and agriculture.