Climate Literacy and Education

Climate literacy is a subset of the broader science literacy, where the latter refers to the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of the inquiry- or problem-based approaches that individuals apply to decision-making and new situations. In particular, climate literacy draws on climate science (i.e., the dynamics of the earth–atmosphere–ocean–biosphere across spatio-temporal scales), the quantitative and geospatial technologies by which it is understood, and the interconnectedness of human beings with their environment. The appreciation of the complexity of climate literacy is firmly grounded in the systems approach that is central to the earth sciences and geosciences. As such, some of the interrelated and overlapping facets of climate literacy include the populations served (e.g., formal education, lifelong learners), methods of engagement and dissemination (e.g., citizen science, communication mechanisms), related spheres of influence (e.g., climate change, human health, sustainability, energy, the food–energy–water nexus), and the implications of achieving a climate-literate citizenry (i.e., decision-making from the individual to federal levels, policy, advocacy). For the last three decades, most of the peer-reviewed literature around climate education (quantifying the efficacy and best practices of the populations served) was largely focused in the formal avenues, particularly at the middle and high school levels. Recently, a more whole-school approach (kindergarten to at least the baccalaureate) has emerged, as has the focus on lifelong learners (e.g., informal settings such as museums and outdoor recreation venues) and their participation in such activities as citizen science. This article opens with the definition of climate literacy and the frameworks on which it is based. It then surveys the efforts made in both the formal and informal realms, followed by the challenges and barriers that mitigate against achieving full literacy. The communication of climate literacy concepts and understandings are then presented, with a special emphasis on climate change communication. Finally, the implications of achieving full climate literacy are presented.