Climate Literacy: Empowering a New Generation for a Sustainable Future
CHALLENGES, CONSERVATION SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
Children today are growing up in a world transformed by climate change. From devastating wildfires to catastrophic flooding and record-breaking heat across U.S. cities, today’s young people are already on the front lines of a crisis they did not create. These events don’t just threaten health and safety—they are also disrupting education, fueling eco-anxiety, and reshaping futures.
How Climate Change Is Impacting Children
Disrupted Learning:In 2024, extreme weather events—including floods, cyclones, and heatwaves—disrupted the education of 242 million children across 85 countries, according to UNICEF. Heat alone has become one of the biggest threats, forcing schools in cities from Phoenix to San Juan to close or shorten days.
School Closures: Since 2022, more than 400 million students globally have experienced school closures caused by climate-related disasters. In low-income nations, students miss on average seven times more school days than their peers in wealthier countries.
Heat in the Classroom: In the U.S., 79% of students in the nation’s largest cities attend schools in “extreme heat zones.” In Denver, nearly two-thirds of students go to overheated schools without adequate cooling, while in Puerto Rico, outdated infrastructure is leaving students at risk of heat-related illness.
Eco-Anxiety: Climate change is taking a mental toll as well. More than 60% of young people globally say they are very or extremely worried about climate change, with many reporting feelings of helplessness about the future.
Climate change is already determining where children can live, how they learn, and what kinds of opportunities lie ahead.
The Climate Literacy Gap
Despite these profound impacts, most students still lack access to meaningful climate education.
In the U.S., while 80% of parents and 86% of teachers agree climate change should be taught in schools, nearly 55% of teachers say they don’t cover it—often because they lack training or resources.
Globally, in 76 countries analyzed by UNESCO, national curricula cover only about 21% of the possible climate content and even less on biodiversity. Social studies and humanities often omit it altogether.
Few nations have climate education policies: just 39% of countries have a national climate education plan, and less than two-thirds train teachers on the topic.
In the U.S., progress is piecemeal. New Jersey remains the only state to mandate climate education across all subjects, while California and Connecticut are expanding hands-on, locally grounded programs. But nationwide, climate literacy remains inconsistent, leaving many students without the knowledge—or sense of agency—to confront the crisis shaping their lives.
Solutions Emerging Now
Despite the gaps, powerful solutions are taking root:
Cooler, Greener Schools: In Los Angeles, schoolyards are being transformed with trees, rain gardens, and outdoor classrooms to fight extreme heat and create healthier learning environments. Denver and San Antonio are rushing to upgrade cooling systems as more than two-thirds of their students face scorching classrooms.
Innovative Curriculum: UC San Diego recently became one of the first U.S. universities to require undergraduates to take courses with substantial climate content, signaling a shift in higher education. Globally, programs like “SoundWaters” in Connecticut bring students into local ecosystems to learn through fieldwork and stewardship.
Pathways to Green Careers: Schools are introducing students to a wide range of climate-related careers—from renewable energy and sustainable design to public policy and urban planning—helping young people see climate action as part of their future.
Global Ambition: The UN has set a goal for 90% of countries to include climate education in their curricula by 2030, recognizing that knowledge is as vital as technology or infrastructure in the fight against climate change.
Why Climate Literacy Matters
Climate literacy does more than inform—it empowers. Research shows that climate education:
Encourages students to adopt sustainable behaviors for life.
Inspires civic action, from local projects to policy advocacy.
Connects learning to meaningful green career opportunities.
With an investment as small as $18.51 per child—in resilience upgrades, teacher training, and curriculum support—schools can dramatically reduce climate-related learning losses and prepare students for the challenges ahead.
An Investment in the Future
Climate change is already shaping children’s lives. The question is whether we give them the tools to face it with knowledge, agency, and hope.
By expanding climate literacy—through strong policies, teacher training, hands-on learning, and resilient schools—we can empower the next generation not just to survive the climate crisis, but to lead the way in solving it. When students understand climate change, they don’t just worry about the future—they start building it.
Take Action
At Power Over Energy, we believe education is power. Support efforts to expand climate literacy in your community—whether by advocating for stronger school standards, volunteering with local environmental programs, or sharing resources with teachers and parents.
Because empowering children with knowledge today is an investment in a sustainable tomorrow.