Climate change is an existential threat to people and the planet and urgent action is needed to mitigate negative impacts [1]. Climate change education (CCE) for all ages is critically important to foster the development of the knowledge and skills required to make informed decisions and support climate policies that respond to, mitigate, and adapt to climate change [2]. The need for climate literacy has been recognized in the United States for decades, however, the definition of climate literacy has shifted over that time. Beginning from a focus on mastery of climate science, the field has moved towards a more holistic, systems-based understanding of climate topics, reflecting advances in climate and social science research, the increasing impacts of climate change, and evolving needs for climate-related skills in the workforce.

Beginning in the 1990s, several organizations developed environmental education standards and definitions of science literacy, setting the stage for developing a framework of climate literacy. In 2009, the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), in coordination with over 60 governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, developed climate literacy principles that laid out the key scientific concepts needed to understand the climate system and climate change based on the Second National Climate Assessment. Since the publication of the 2009 guide, an increasing number of transdisciplinary studies have deepened the understanding of the complexity of climate change and its impacts, highlighting the need for collaboration across disciplines like social, health, and natural sciences, as well as between scientists and policymakers to address these challenges [3]. This change in the understanding of climate change is reflected by the themes of the Fifth National Climate Assessment report (NCA5; [1]), the nation’s premier climate science synthesis report. The most recent publication, released in 2023, shifted towards a broader understanding of the human and social contributions and responsibilities around climate change. The report’s focus on adaptation and mitigation, the inclusion of chapters on economics, complex systems, social systems and justice, and the addition of an art component, demonstrates a multidisciplinary approach to climate change. In September 2024, an updated version of the climate literacy principles was released based on the information in the NCA5 [4]. In conjunction with other efforts to redefine climate education, including the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in Educating for Climate Action and Justice [5], these documents reflect a field-wide consensus to shift climate education from raising awareness about climate change to support learners in developing systems thinking and agency to engage in their communities and navigate future challenges.

In parallel with this shift toward a holistic understanding of the climate system, the CCE field has moved toward an understanding that the social context of climate change and fostering student agency is integral to comprehensive climate education (e.g., [6]). A 2024 poll conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication revealed that 77% of Americans believe climate change should be taught in schools [7]. The main reason educators don’t teach about climate is because it doesn’t fit into their discipline [8]. Responding to such concerns, new climate education initiatives illustrate that teaching climate is no longer relegated to science classrooms and programs only, encouraging educators to foster systems-level thinking and teach climate across subject areas and grades [9]. Consequently, educators are considering the mental health impacts of a changing climate on youth and have turned toward hopeful messaging and promoting student agency as an outlet for these emotions [10]. Informal learning centers and communities are engaging in climate programs such as youth climate summits [11]. This expanded idea of climate literacy encourages and fosters applied learning and meaningful education, leading to an improved understanding of the societal impacts of and solutions for climate change.

As climate education expands across institutions and disciplines, it is important to connect educators and climate education efforts that are currently fragmented due to the localized nature of the education landscape in the US [6]. First published in 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards have been adopted or adapted in 49 U.S. states, creating a climate change education framework for formal educators. Several states such as New Jersey, Washington, Maine, Oregon, Illinois, Connecticut, and California have passed bills to mandate that climate is taught throughout the K-12 curriculum, including in classes beyond science [9]. In 2024, Colorado passed a requirement to offer all graduating high schoolers a Seal of Climate Literacy that includes both climate knowledge mandates and engagement in a climate action project [9]. Education is a critical component of support for a broad societal response to climate change and the efforts have seen effects. According to polls performed by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication since 2009, Americans are increasingly aware that climate change is happening and humans are causing it, have a better understanding that people are being harmed by climate change, and feel more worried and alarmed about climate change [7].

Educational institutions such as schools, museums, and environmental education centers are integral to climate action, as the learning and work done within them spreads through communities and initiates climate solutions (e.g., [12,13]). These institutions are important for enhancing resilience because of their influence on local communities at scales where climate action is most impactful [14]. This is an important moment for CCE, with the potential to spur coordinated and collaborative educational efforts to leverage lessons learned across dispersed efforts, to ensure broad participation in CCE, and accelerate climate actions that are needed to address widespread climate change impacts [15]. The reflection of the expanded knowledge of climate change in reports such as the NCA5 solidifies the importance of transdisciplinary CCE efforts for educators, communicators, and decision-makers. Transforming educational systems to foster interdisciplinary CCE can create a strong impact through organizing ideas, and invigorating and sustaining smaller-scale efforts to address climate change throughout communities across the United States.