Digital tools and climate literacy in China: examining associations between digital platforms and climate literacy among university students

Purpose – This paper aims to examine associations between digital platforms and climate literacy dimensions (knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions) among Chinese university students. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods design was used, combining a survey of 1, 236 students from eight universities (based on the Inventory of Biotic Climate Literacy), platform usage data and 36 semistructured interviews. Structural equation modeling analyzes quantitative relationships. Findings – Frequent digital engagement is associated with higher levels of climate knowledge and stronger pro-climate attitudes. MOOCs showed the strongest positive association with climate knowledge (β = 0.36, p < 0.001), whereas social media showed stronger associations with attitudinal formation (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and indirect behavioral influence. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design limits causal inference; future longitudinal or experimental studies are needed. Practical implications – Universities should integrate credible, localized digital content into curricula and address misinformation and digital divides to maximize the impact of climate education. Originality/value – This study refines the knowledge–attitude–behavior model by incorporating digital engagement as a contextual mediator, offering the first large-scale empirical evidence from China’s higher education context.

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