Federal science agencies update the nation’s climate literacy guide

Today, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) released the third edition of the nation’s climate literacy guide: Climate Literacy: Essential Principles for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change. The guide presents information that is important for individuals and communities to know and understand about Earth’s climate, the impacts of climate change and solutions. A team of federal scientists, communicators, educators and program leaders worked collaboratively to update the guide.

Aaron Webb owns and operates a solar farm in Humboldt, Tennessee, funded in part by the USDA Rural Energy for America Program, which provides funding for renewable energy systems to make energy efficiency improvements. With over 500kW of solar panels, the farm pictured here on April 4, 2024, has made a significant impact on the community, reducing the need for fossil fuels and providing clean power to the grid. USDA image by Lance Cheung.

“The climate literacy guide is a major investment in education and workforce development that will help build America’s climate-ready workforce and communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The rising threats of climate change are accelerating, and we need a new generation of climate-literate and specially skilled workers who can help communities address a wide range of climate impacts – from sea level rise, flooding, and water quality issues – so that we can tackle the climate crisis.”

“The climate literacy guide is a rich educational resource drawing from the latest scientific consensus on a broad spectrum of topics in climate science,” said NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, Ph.D. “It will help bring climate literacy to every community in America and around the world.”

This resource arrives as the U.S. suffers more frequent, intense, climate-driven extreme events that impact public health, the economy and historical and cultural resources. This summer was Earth’s warmest on record, with August global temperatures extending the streak of record-high monthly global temperatures to 15 successive months.

"The updated guide is a useful entry point for anyone who wants to understand why climate change is happening, how it affects us and our communities and what we can do about it,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Climate and Environment, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

While the first edition of the guide provided a physical and natural science definition of climate literacy tailored for all forms of education, this new edition expands this standard to embrace physical science as well as local and Indigenous Knowledge, social sciences, climate solutions and climate justice. The skills and knowledge in this guide can help everyone build resilience to climate change. 

Redrawing The Earth by Ritika S. Produced as part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Fifth National Climate Assessment. Used with permission.

According to the guide, a climate-literate person:

• Understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system and the options to address human-caused climate change. (These principles and options are summarized in the guide).
• Recognizes credible information about climate change and knows where to find it.
• Communicates about climate change in accurate and effective ways.
• Is able to make informed decisions related to climate change.

Research in the journal Ambio shows a climate-literate society is better able to develop and implement climate solutions that benefit all.Incorporating scientific concepts as well as Indigenous and local knowledge in communication and education can improve climate literacy and make climate actions more effective.

“The climate literacy guide is my go-to resource for what to teach about our climate, climate system and climate change,” said Missy Holzer, Ph.D., science curriculum designer and former high school science teacher. “I'm looking forward to seeing the shifts in the updated climate literacy guide, and I will update my teaching accordingly.”

"USGCRP's 2009 climate literacy guide has been an essential framework for our Youth Climate Summit program,” said Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives at the Wild Center, a science museum in New York. “We are looking forward to the new climate literacy guide to provide a more integrated foundation to educate for climate action." 

The guide is also a critical resource for employers, workers and workforce developers striving to develop a climate-literate workforce. It complements NOAA’s Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, which is investing $60 million in nationwide projects that train and place workers in existing and emerging good jobs that strengthen climate resilience. 

“We know from hundreds of listening sessions held over the past year that educators and youth are hungry for resources, knowledge and skills to address climate change," said Carol O’Donnell, the Douglas M. Lapp and Anne B. Keiser Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center. "This guide will transform how climate science is addressed in classrooms and communities across the country.”

The climate literacy guide was first published in 2008 by the USGCRP and updated in 2009. This third edition of the guide is built on the latest climate assessments: The United States’ Fifth National Climate Assessment (November 2023) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Reportoffsite link (2021-2023). 

The guide is available in interactive web and downloadable PDF formats that will connect with learners from all walks of life. It contains photos, artwork and other compelling visuals to facilitate learning.

To access the guide, visit USGCRP or Climate.gov.