# Understanding climate engagement and open recognition in European higher education: A mixed-methods study across four countries

## TL;DR

This study explores how university students in four European countries engage with climate issues and view digital badges for recognizing climate learning.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into cross-country differences in climate engagement and the potential of open recognition systems in higher education.

## Key findings

- Portuguese students showed the highest climate awareness, while Italian students had the lowest.
- Students valued informal climate education more than formal training but participated little in eco-pedagogical activities.
- Digital badges gained moderate interest when tied to institutional and employer recognition frameworks.

## Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigates student engagement with climate issues and perceptions of open recognition systems across four European educational institutions in France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain as part of the OpenPass4Climate Erasmus+ project. Against the backdrop of the European Green Deal and UNESCO's call for transformative education, our research addresses the critical need for innovative climate education approaches that bridge knowledge and action.

Through a comprehensive approach combining surveys (
n=630), individual interviews (
n=69), national focus groups (
n=45), and a transnational focus group (
n=16), we examined students' climate attitudes, educational preferences, and views on digital badge systems for recognizing climate competencies.

Results reveal a notable disconnect between strong climate concern (mean=4.0/5) and moderate personal responsibility (3.2/5), alongside significant cross-country variations in environmental engagement, with Portuguese students consistently demonstrating the highest climate awareness and Italian students the lowest. While respondents strongly endorsed formal climate curriculum integration (4.1/5) and valued informal learning pathways (3.8/5), they reported limited participation in eco-pedagogical activities (2.3/5), highlighting an implementation gap in environmental education. Students rated their informal climate change education (3.5/5) more highly than formal training (3.2/5), suggesting untapped potential for recognition of non-formal learning experiences. Gender differences emerged consistently, with female respondents showing significantly higher environmental concern and engagement across multiple dimensions. Analysis of open badge perceptions revealed moderate familiarity but substantial interest, particularly when aligned with institutional credentialing systems and employer recognition frameworks.

Key implementation challenges identified include the need for robust quality assurance mechanisms, institutional endorsement, and enhanced digital infrastructure accessibility. These findings inform strategic recommendations for developing the European Open Badges Passport, emphasizing the importance of balancing standardization with contextual flexibility while facilitating recognition of both formal and informal climate learning across diverse higher education settings.

Our research investigated how university students across four European countries (France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) think about and engage with climate change issues, and what they think about using digital badges to recognize climate-related learning. We collected information through an online survey of 630 students, individual interviews with 69 participants, group discussions in each country, and an international group discussion.

The study revealed important insights about students' perspectives on climate change and environmental education. While students expressed strong concern about climate change, they felt only moderately responsible for taking action themselves. We found notable differences across demographics and countries: female students and those in advanced degree programs showed higher environmental awareness, and Portuguese students consistently demonstrated the highest climate awareness, while Italian students showed the lowest. Although students valued both formal education and informal learning about climate issues, they reported low participation in actual environmental activities. When it came to recognition of climate-related learning through digital badges, students showed moderate interest but expressed concerns about how employers would view these credentials.

These findings are significant because they help us understand how to better engage students in climate education and action. The research provides valuable insights for developing the European Open Badges Passport, a system that will recognize both formal and informal climate learning achievements. Our results suggest that effective climate education needs to bridge the gap between awareness and action, while recognition systems must balance standardization across Europe with flexibility for local needs. The findings emphasize the importance of ensuring digital badges are credible and valued by employers, while making climate education more accessible through both traditional and innovative learning approaches. These insights will directly inform how European universities approach climate education and recognize students' environmental competencies in the coming years.