Attitude of students towards climate change impact

Abstract

Climate change poses a significant threat to global sustainable development, with agricultural systems playing a dual role as both a contributor to and a victim of its impacts. This study examined the attitudes of undergraduate agriculture students—future professionals in food and farming systems—towards climate change impacts and mitigation. Adopting an ex-post facto research design, the study surveyed 120 final-year B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture students at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU), India, using a multistage random sampling approach. Data were collected via a pre-structured interview schedule and analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results revealed an overall positive and progressive attitude toward climate change mitigation, with the belief that reducing carbon emissions is crucial for agricultural sustainability ranking highest (Index = 90.50). Correlation analysis indicated that academic performance, mass media exposure, climate orientation, awareness, and academic curriculum (r = 0.266**) had significant positive relationships with student attitudes. In contrast, socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, and family income showed no significant influence. These findings underscore that educational and informational factors are more decisive than personal backgrounds in shaping climate-responsive attitudes, highlighting the need for strengthened climate-oriented curricula and experiential learning in agricultural education.