This article compares the level of climate literacy observed among university students enrolled on different academic courses, sampled at the start and end of their degrees (N = 1,149). The study involved distributing a questionnaire about various scientific topics related to Climate Change (CC) and aims to analyse the extent to which differences can be attributed to the influence of the social representations of common culture or to the scientific education received during their academic studies. The initial assumption made is that students who study natural science or engineering degrees and those who are in the final years of their degree course should be significantly more competent regarding the questions made to them than students studying social sciences or humanities and those who are at the start of their university degree. The weight of common culture is also noted as the decisive factor in predominant social representations.

así como de las consecuencias y soluciones más destacadas, en consonancia con la ciencia estándar sobre el cambio climático. Se constata, también, una representación social más enfocada a las consecuencias que a las soluciones y la pervivencia de creencias erróneas como la vinculación causal con la capa de ozono y la percepción de que el consenso científico en la materia es bajo. El análisis estadístico solo muestra diferencias significativas en relación a la titulación y el curso para tres de las variables estudiadas. Por último, resultan de especial interés las identidades propias de la cultura académica como condicionantes de las representaciones del cambio climático.Palabras clave: educación; cambio climático; representaciones sociales; cultura científica. RESUMOO artigo analisa as representações sociais das mudanças climáticas em estudantes universitários. O estudo se desenhou atendendo a hipótese da possível influência da formação acadêmica sobre os conhecimentos e as crenças desse coletivo. A amostra é formada por 284 casos selecionados de quatro titulações de graduação ou licenciatura da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Espanha). Duas titulações do campo das ciências físico--naturais (Biologia e Engenharia Química) e duas do campo das ciências sociais e humanas (História e Pedagogia). Os resultados mostram um reconhecimento majoritário da casualidade humana na origem do problema, assim como das consequências e soluções mais destacadas, em consonância com a ciência padrão sobre a mudança climática. Constata-se, também, uma representação social mais enfocada às consequências que às soluções e a permanência de crenças errôneas como a vinculação causal com a camada de ozônio e a percepção de que o consenso científico na matéria é baixo. A análise estatística somente mostra diferenças significativas em relação à titulação e ao curso para três das variáveis estudadas. Por último, resulta de especial interesse as identidades próprias da cultura acadêmica como condicionantes das representações das mudanças climáticas.Palavras-chave: educação; alterações climáticas; representações sociais; cultura científica. ABSTRACTThis article analyses social representations of climactic change among university students. The study was designed to test the hypothesis that the academic field or training may influence students' knowledge and beliefs. The sample consisted of 284 students from four different Bachelor's degree programs at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Two programs

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Impacts of climate change are increasingly felt in our daily lives. Although scepticism is still found among certain social groups, most lay discourses show awareness of the current environmental challenges. In order to move forward and develop action plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change, young people are an important voice to be heard. This research article tackles questions pertaining to the relation between climate change communication, education and social perception of science, exploring social and cultural representations of climate change through the discourses of young people. Fieldwork involved eight focus groups conducted inBrazil, Mexico, Portugal and Spain with a total of 50 higher education students of Experimental/Natural Sciences and Engineering, and of Social Sciences and Humanities. Discussions were organized around 16 images referring to the causes, consequences and responses to climate change. Without significant differences between knowledge areas or countries, findings point to awareness of multiple types of responses to climate change, even though students' analyses were more grounded on common culture than on solid scientific evidence and language. Adaptation strategies were more rarely mentioned than mitigation actions. A strong emphasis was put on barriers to response implementation. Moderate optimism regarding some possible responses was impaired by distrust regarding the political and economic systems leading to calls for transformation at multiple levels.

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