Climate Skepticism in a University Context: Influences of Gender, Religion and Political Spectrum

Abstract Climate change is one of today's most urgent issues, requiring immediate action to ensure a sustainable future. However, society must have a solid climate literacy to achieve this goal. Efforts to increase knowledge about climate change are often undermined by climate denialism, which proliferates on social media and in the public sphere. In this context, universities play a crucial role as centers of scientific dissemination, training students who will be future leaders. This study aimed to assess climate denialism at a Portuguese university, analyzing its relationship with variables such as gender, religion, and political spectrum. The research had a sample of 89 respondents, and the data was statistically analyzed to identify patterns and correlations. The results revealed that climate denialism is more prevalent among individuals on the right of the political spectrum. In addition, it was observed that denialism is present in all the religions analyzed and that male respondents tend to agree more with ideas that deny climate change. These findings reinforce the importance of targeted educational strategies adapted to different sociodemographic profiles to combat denialism and promote greater climate literacy.