This is reflected across numerous initiatives taken in research and teaching where the University of Graz plays a pioneering role in a national and international context. To this end, it places particular emphasis on fields of excellence that are characterised by outstanding achievements, international successes, and socially relevant aspects. Therefore, the University of Graz has defined five Fields of Excellence. Researchers join forces to answer important questions across traditional subject boundaries and develop strategies to help shape the future. One of these Fields of Excellence, Climate Change Graz, deals with man-made climate change, which poses one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
The Field of Excellence Climate Change Graz
How high is Earth’s fever? What problems does climate protection solve? Why are we paying for climate change in Asia? Do we have a right to climate protection? How is climate change caused? – the interdisciplinary cutting-edge research conducted by the University of Graz endeavours to answer these questions.
The research network Environment and Global Change
In the Research Network Environment and Global Change (EGC Graz), research focus is placed on monitoring climate and environmental change and the EGC shows ways to achieve sustainable regional development.

Green Academia Award
The “Green Academia Award” is an innovation award and an essential component to promoting the field of sustainable mobility and making the scientific achievements of scientists visible.
The first “Green Academia Award” will be presented once per year starting in 2023 to the most successful scientific branches in the field of sustainable mobility and research performance.
Demonstrating success in combining the climate protection target achievement in the area of international business travel mobility with the research performance in the area of quality publications is decisive for receiving this award. These two criteria are included as sub-goals in the target and performance agreement 2022-2024 of the six faculties and are continuously evaluated.
The most successful branches of science will be honoured during the 2023 Sustainability Days, and the best combined success will be awarded with a money prize of 50,000 euros. The second- and third-placed
branches of science will also be honoured with a money prize of 20,000 euros and 10,000 euros, respectively.
The award-winning science branches can freely dispose of the awarded prize money for funding purposes in research and teaching.