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

<ns3:p> Background 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. Methods Through a comprehensive approach combining surveys ( <ns3:italic>n</ns3:italic> =630), individual interviews ( <ns3:italic>n</ns3:italic> =69), national focus groups ( <ns3:italic>n</ns3:italic> =45), and a transnational focus group ( <ns3:italic>n</ns3:italic> =16), we examined students' climate attitudes, educational preferences, and views on digital badge systems for recognizing climate competencies. Results 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. Conclusions 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. </ns3:p>