Educational systems as drivers of social change for climate adaptation: evidence from Southeast Europe

Objective This study aims to develop and apply an integrated index of educational systems’ readiness for climate education (CERI) to enable systematic assessment and international comparison. The primary objective is to identify strengths and gaps in policies, curricula, teacher training, resource provision, and school practices across five Southeast European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Greece, and Croatia. Methods In recent years, climate change education has emerged as an urgent priority for policymakers and educators. However, there are significant disparities in how different national systems incorporate sustainability into their curricula, teacher training, and institutional frameworks. This study introduces the Climate Education Readiness Index (CERI), a comprehensive tool designed to assess the systemic readiness of education systems to teach climate change. The analysis focuses on five selected countries in Southeast Europe—Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Greece, and Croatia—each representing varied institutional contexts both within and outside the European Union. The methodological approach comprises a Delphi panel of 24 experts, an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assign weights to the assessed dimensions, and TOPSIS for validation. Six key dimensions were evaluated: integration into curricula, teacher capacity, assessment and accountability, resources and infrastructure, a whole-school and community approach, and policy and governance. Conclusion The findings reveal that Croatia and Greece exhibit the highest levels of systemic readiness, bolstered by national strategies, funding, and evaluation mechanisms. In contrast, Bulgaria and Romania occupy an intermediate position with scattered initiatives, while Serbia falls behind due to a lack of coherent policies. Considering the existing international literature, the index results confirm established trends regarding teacher uncertainty and student climate anxiety, emphasizing the need for systematic institutional support. The study concludes that meaningful progress requires coordinated policies, professional development for teachers, robust digital infrastructures, and a comprehensive whole-school approach. The CERI Index serves as a reproducible framework for international comparisons, providing practical guidance for policymakers seeking to integrate climate education.