Handling climate change education at universities: an overview

Walter Leal Filho; Mihaela Sima; Ayyoob Sharifi; Johannes M Luetz; Amanda Lange Salvia; Mark Mifsud; Felicia Motunrayo Olooto; Ilija Djekic; Rosley Anholon; Izabela Rampasso; Felix Kwabena Donkor; Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis; Maris Klavins; Göran Finnveden; Martin Munashe Chari; Petra Molthan-Hill; Alexandra Mifsud; Salil K Sen; Erandathie Lokupitiya

doi:10.1186/s12302-021-00552-5

Handling climate change education at universities: an overview

Environ Sci Eur. 2021;33(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12302-021-00552-5. Epub 2021 Sep 25.

Authors

Walter Leal Filho^{1

2}, Mihaela Sima³, Ayyoob Sharifi⁴, Johannes M Luetz^{5

6

7}, Amanda Lange Salvia⁸, Mark Mifsud⁹, Felicia Motunrayo Olooto¹⁰, Ilija Djekic¹¹, Rosley Anholon¹², Izabela Rampasso^{13

14}, Felix Kwabena Donkor¹⁵, Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis¹⁶, Maris Klavins¹⁷, Göran Finnveden^{18

19}, Martin Munashe Chari²⁰, Petra Molthan-Hill²¹, Alexandra Mifsud²², Salil K Sen^{23

24}, Erandathie Lokupitiya²⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD UK.
² Research and Transfer Centre "Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management", Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany.
³ Romanian Academy, Institute of Geography, 12 Dimitrie Racovita St, Sector 2, 023993 Bucharest, Romania.
⁴ Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8530 Japan.
⁵ School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia.
⁶ Christian Heritage College (CHC), Brisbane, Australia.
⁷ School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Maroochydore, Australia.
⁸ Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil.
⁹ University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
¹⁰ Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Services, Faculty of Agriculture, Kwara State University, Malete, PMB 1530, Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria.
¹¹ Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.
¹² University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
¹³ Universidad Católica del Norte, Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Angamos, 0610, Antofagasta, Chile.
¹⁴ PNPD/CAPES Program, Doctoral Program in Sustainable Management Systems, Federal Fluminense University, Brazil, Passo da Pátria Street, 156, Niterói, Brazil.
¹⁵ Department of Geography Education, University of Education Winneba, Winneba, Ghana.
¹⁶ UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit (FP-ENAS), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), Praça 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal.
¹⁷ Department of Environmental Science, University of Latvia, Raina blvd 19, Riga, LV 1586 Latvia.
¹⁸ Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁹ Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
²⁰ Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC), Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, 1 King William's Town Road, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700 Eastern Cape South Africa.
²¹ Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
²² Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
²³ Management Development Institute of Singapore, 501 Stirling Rd, Singapore, 148951 Singapore.
²⁴ Indian Institute of Management, Jingkieng, Nongthymmai, Shillong, Meghalaya 793014 India.
²⁵ Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Background: Climate change is a problem which is global in nature, and whose effects go across a wide range of disciplines. It is therefore important that this theme is taken into account as part of universities´ teaching and research programs.

Methods: A three-tiered approach was used, consisting of a bibliometric analysis, an online survey and a set of case studies, which allow a profile to be built, as to how a sample of universities from 45 countries handle climate change as part of their teaching programs.

Results: This paper reports on a study which aimed at identifying the extent to which matters related to climate change are addressed within the teaching and research practices at universities, with a focus on the training needs of teaching staff. It consists of a bibliometric analysis, combined with an online worldwide survey aimed at ascertaining the degree of involvement from universities in reducing their own carbon footprint, and the ways they offer training provisions on the topic. This is complemented by a set of 12 case studies from universities round the world, illustrating current trends on how universities handle climate change. Apart from reporting on the outcomes of the study, the paper highlights what some universities are doing to handle climate issues, and discusses the implications of the research.

Conclusions: The paper lists some items via which universities may better educate and train their students on how to handle the many challenges posed by climate change.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-021-00552-5.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Case studies; Climate change education; Climate change teaching and research; Online worldwide survey; Training needs; Universities.