Embedding Climate Awareness in the Curriculum through Climate Fresk

by: Alison Bailey - Associate Professor in Management & Partnership Tutor CMBE, SFHEA

PRME London and South-East Co-Lead - University of Sussex

At the University of Sussex Business School, sustainability is not an add‑on. It is a core commitment, woven through teaching, research and engagement, and aligned with the Principles for Responsible Management Education. One of the most exciting examples of this commitment in practice is the integration of the Climate Fresk workshop into the first‑year module Introduction to Business and Management.

A Creative Tool for Climate Literacy

Climate Fresk is a three‑hour interactive card game that translates the findings of the IPCC report into an accessible, engaging format. Developed by French sustainability educator Cédric Ringenbach, the game helps participants grasp the complex science behind climate change regardless of their prior knowledge.

In doing so, it supports a crucial goal: invigorating the collective response required to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre‑industrial levels.

Now in its second year at Sussex, Climate Fresk has become an integral part of helping students understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their interconnectedness with business and society. It complements other sustainability‑focused learning tools on the module, including Sulitest, and serves as a practical example of the Business School’s commitment to responsible, future‑focused management education.

Students Teaching Students

One of the most powerful elements of the Sussex approach has been the development of a student‑led facilitator network. This year, several of the Climate Fresk sessions were delivered by students who participated in the previous year’s workshop and subsequently trained as certified facilitators.

These students are not only deepening their own climate understanding; they are also building confidence, communication skills and practical facilitation experience. Many have now taken on the role of Fresk Ambassadors for 2026 and beyond. Their work extends beyond the classroom to reach other students and members of the local business community, building sustainability awareness across the wider ecosystem.

Scaling Climate Education from the Ground Up

The accessibility and scalability of Climate Fresk makes it particularly suitable for university contexts. With modest training, students can become facilitators and help embed climate literacy across programmes and year groups. This grassroots model is engaging,

peer‑driven and adaptable, enabling institutions to meet their PRME commitments in a tangible and student‑centred way.

At Sussex, it has quickly become a rewarding and energising project led by students, for students.

About Alex Pearson MBE

Alex Pearson lived and worked in China for twenty‑five years, where she founded several successful ventures, including one of the “Top Ten Bookshops in the World”, China’s largest literary festival, a theatre company, an outdoor management training organisation and a leadership development consultancy.

She is now an Associate Professor at the University of Sussex Business School, specialising in leadership, transformational supply chains and project management. Alongside her academic work, Alex is Director of the Yurt Academy, supporting organisations with sustainability leadership and carbon reduction strategies.

Her passion for exploration has taken her across Patagonia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, North Korea, Uzbekistan and throughout China, where she cycled from Beijing to the Mongolian grasslands twenty‑five times.