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Students’ Awareness Regarding Environment Protection in Campus Life: Evidence from Romania

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  • Mariana Cernicova-Buca

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Communication and Sustainability (PoliCom), Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Gabriel-Mugurel Dragomir

    (Department of Teaching Training, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Communication and Sustainability (PoliCom), Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Vasile Gherheș

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Communication and Sustainability (PoliCom), Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Adina Palea

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Communication and Sustainability (PoliCom), Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

Abstract

Climate awareness is a major topic of concern, and the Green Deal in Europe attempts to turn states, communities, and local actors towards more environmentally conscious action to reduce, by 2030, the net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55%. Universities voluntarily adhered to the 2030 Agenda, displaying a wide variety of approaches to respond to sustainability goals and calls for greening. The purpose of the present study is to establish the students’ readiness for action as sustainability promoters, starting with their awareness of environmental issues. Upon focusing on the perceptions of students from the oldest university in western Romania gathered via an online questionnaire in 2023, the research showed that 95.6% of respondents consider climate issues as important or very important to them, even though less than 50% of the sample evaluate their own knowledge of environmental protection as good or very good. The results show that of the parameters that differentiate student awareness and actions, gender and place of residence (on campus/off campus) play a significant role, helping shape tailored strategies and projects to capitalize on students’ predispositions to engage (or not) in environment-related activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Mariana Cernicova-Buca & Gabriel-Mugurel Dragomir & Vasile Gherheș & Adina Palea, 2023. "Students’ Awareness Regarding Environment Protection in Campus Life: Evidence from Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16444-:d:1291421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michele Micheletti & Dietlind Stolle, 2012. "Sustainable Citizenship and the New Politics of Consumption," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 644(1), pages 88-120, November.
    2. Vasile Gherheș & Mariana Cernicova-Buca & Marcela Alina Fărcașiu & Adina Palea, 2021. "Romanian Students’ Environment-Related Routines during COVID-19 Home Confinement: Water, Plastic, and Paper Consumption," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Cristina I. Fernandes & Pedro Mota Veiga & João J.M. Ferreira & Mathew Hughes, 2021. "Green growth versus economic growth: Do sustainable technology transfer and innovations lead to an imperfect choice?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2021-2037, May.
    4. Minou Ella Mebane & Maura Benedetti & Daniela Barni & Donata Francescato, 2023. "Promoting Climate Change Awareness with High School Students for a Sustainable Community," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Giulia Sonetti & Patrizia Lombardi & Lorenzo Chelleri, 2016. "True Green and Sustainable University Campuses? Toward a Clusters Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-23, January.
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    2. Claudiu Coman & Vasile Gherhes & Anna Bucs & Lorant Bucs & Dana Rad, 2025. "Sustainability at the Intersection: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Impact of Social Movements on Environmental Activism from 1998 to 2025," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-21, June.

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