Climate Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour
This topic covers climate literacy, environmental attitudes, environmental civic engagement, sustainable dietary behaviour, and pro-environmental behaviour.
Recent work investigates the measurement of climate knowledge, the relationship between education and active environmental engagement, climate literacy as a mechanism linking education with meat consumption and reduction, and cross-national environmental public sphere behaviour.
Related project work examines climate literacy and environmentally friendly behaviour among young people in Slovenia and Europe.
Connected Work
Projects and Publications
For the full unchanged publication list, see Publications. For funded project details, see Research Projects.
Key Findings
Selected findings from this research
Kirbiš, A. & Branilović, S. (2025). Education and meat consumption and reduction: The mediating role of climate literacy. Foods.
Key finding: Among Slovenians aged 14–88 (N=2,990), climate attitudes and literacy mediated the association between higher education and both lower meat consumption and greater willingness to reduce meat.
doi.org/10.3390/foods14193333Kirbiš, A., Korže, V., & Lubej, M. (2024). Predictors of meat reduction: The case of Slovenia. Foods.
Key finding: In a Slovenian survey, age was the only significant predictor of meat-reduction intentions and behaviour, with middle-aged and older adults more likely to reduce meat than younger adults.
doi.org/10.3390/foods13152346Kirbiš, A., Branilović, S., & Lubej, M. (2025). Does health literacy mediate sociodemographic and economic inequalities in fruit and vegetable intake? An analysis of Slovenian national HLS19 survey data. Foods.
Key finding: Using Slovenian HLS19 data (N=3,360), health literacy partially mediated socioeconomic inequalities in fruit and vegetable intake.
doi.org/10.3390/foods14030378Kirbiš, A., Lamot, M., & Javornik, M. (2021). The role of education in sustainable dietary patterns in Slovenia. Sustainability.
Key finding: In a national Slovenian sample (N=1,079), higher education independently predicted lower meat consumption (but not fish or milk), revealing an educational gradient in sustainable diet.
doi.org/10.3390/su132313036Lubej, M. & Kirbiš, A. (2025). Measuring climate knowledge: A systematic review of quantitative studies. iScience.
Key finding: A systematic review of 92 studies found that the measurement of climate knowledge is inconsistent, especially in how its dimensions are defined, and calls for standardized instruments.
doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.111888Kirbiš, A. (2023). Environmental attitudes among youth: How much do the educational characteristics of parents and young people matter?. Sustainability.
Key finding: Among Slovenian youth (N=1,508), general-track secondary students held stronger environmental attitudes than vocational-track peers, while parental education had little effect.
doi.org/10.3390/su151511921Penker, M. & Kirbiš, A. (2025). Education for future? Investigating the role of education in explaining active green engagement: A multilevel moderated mediation analysis. Sustainable Futures.
Key finding: Across 28 countries (ISSP, N=44,100), willingness to pay for environmental protection partly mediated the education-to-green-engagement link, and the pathway was stronger in low-corruption countries.
doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100608Penker, M. & Kirbiš, A. (2026). Extending the civic voluntarism model: A cross-national study of environmental public sphere behavior. Heliyon.
Key finding: Across 28 countries (2020 ISSP, N=44,100), the Civic Voluntarism Model explained environmental public-sphere behaviour best in affluent countries with high quality of government.
doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e44242Frequently Asked
Questions on this topic
Does education reduce meat consumption?
Among Slovenians (N=2,990), climate attitudes and literacy mediated the link between higher education and both lower meat consumption and greater willingness to reduce it (Kirbiš & Branilović, 2025).
Who is most likely to reduce meat?
In a Slovenian survey, age was the only significant predictor — middle-aged and older adults were more likely to reduce meat than younger adults (Kirbiš, Korže & Lubej, 2024).
Is climate knowledge measured consistently across studies?
A systematic review of 92 studies found the measurement of climate knowledge is inconsistent, especially in how its dimensions are defined, and called for standardized instruments (Lubej, Petraš & Kirbiš, 2025).