"As part of the "VuzEkoFest-2025", it was important for us to address issues of adaptation to climate change, including at the level of the regions where universities operate. It is worthwhile not only to know the existing concepts of the triple planetary crisis (environmental pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity), planetary borders and others, but also to understand what is happening in your country, in the regions and what the cost of damage may be in the event of extreme weather events, what solutions can be proposed the scientific community and business in the context of adaptation. The festival helped to increase the interest of young people in the topic and strengthen the desire to share their ideas and scientific developments," said Anastasia Okorochkova, Director of the Autonomous Non–Profit Organization Territory of Sustainable Development.

"The study clearly highlights the measures to adapt to climate change that have been implemented in the regions. Their analysis shows that they are aimed at solving those problems to which it is already impossible not to react. But it is equally important to provide solutions to the problems that may arise on the horizon of 20–50 years, taking into account possible climate changes. This applies to industry, cities, transport and energy infrastructure, agriculture and forestry.

And, of course, the scale of the problems arising from the increasing climate change raises the question of how to accumulate financial resources – public and private – to solve them," noticed Sergey Sementsov, Scientific Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the VEB Institute.

According to respondents, it is possible to solve problems related to climate change with the help of international organizations (21.3%), federal (17.9%) and regional (13.8%) authorities. Many also noted that responsibility lies with each individual (20.7%). At the same time, some of the respondents believe that business is responsible for eliminating the consequences of climate change, including for finding solutions (8.4%).

In order to reduce their carbon footprint, students monitor electricity consumption (19.6%), reduce plastic consumption (17.9%), use water efficiently (17.6%), use public transport, bike or carsharing (17.4%) and participate in tree planting campaigns (7.6%).

​​"The climate changes taking place on the planet are becoming more and more obvious, even at the household level, so it is not surprising that young people, on whose shoulders the main burden of the consequences of climate change will fall, see this as a problem. An important prerequisite for solving this problem is environmental education and scientific refutation of established myths," commented Alexander Chernokulsky, PhD, Deputy Director of the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"Climate change is our reality and our future. Therefore, it is very valuable that the most important global topic is not perceived by students as something apocalyptic or abstract. In general, I believe that there is a big flaw in the wording "combating climate change". It is necessary to deal not with climate change, but with negative decisions, processes and consequences of human activity that have a detrimental impact on the environment. And in this sense, a future specialist in any field can bring tangible benefits – to develop any product based on the principles of a closed-loop economy. I really believe in the generation of the "Territory of Sustainable Development" - young people already understand the scale of the problem today, and their inclusion and motivation will certainly benefit the climate, the region, the country, and humanity as a whole," reported Svetlana Bik, author of the telegram channel 100% Green, head of the INFRAGRIN platform.