As the nation’s 74 million children and youth are being impacted by the realities of climate change at increasing rates, a recent brief by This Is Planet Ed offers a snapshot of teens’ climate literacy in 2025.
Through a partnership with the EdWeek Research Center, 1,017 young people ages 13-19 were surveyed in January on the subject.
“Climate change shapes the future for today’s children and youth, impacting everything from job prospects and economic security to health and well-being. It’s also affecting their lives now: school closures for ‘heat days,’ wildfire smoke keeping kids indoors, and floods displacing families,” according to the brief. “Yet, despite these impacts, children and youth have insufficient opportunities to learn about the causes of climate change, its impact on their lives, and how to advance solutions.”
Among key findings were that 12 percent of teens indicated that they knew a lot about the causes of climate change. Twenty-seven percent said they knew quite a bit and 37 percent said they knew some. Ten percent of respondents felt they know a lot about solutions to climate change, 21 percent said they know quite a bit and 36 percent said they know some.
Additionally, the majority of students learned about climate change from teachers, parents and social media. Those who got most of their information on climate change from these sources were more likely to identify human-related emissions as a big contributor to climate change.
“Only 42 percent of teens recognize the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change,” according to the brief. “Only 54 percent of teens identify greenhouse gas emissions related to human activity as a major contributor to climate change.”
In California, as of 2025, state science standards require lessons on human-caused climate change. Social studies standards allow for but don’t require teaching about climate change or sustainability.
“In states requiring the teaching of human-caused climate change in science standards, 57 percent of teens correctly identified human-related emissions as a major contributor. This figure dropped to 51 percent in states that include climate change but not specifically related to human activity and further to 46 percent in states with no climate change requirement,” according to the brief.
Most respondents recognized transportation (83 percent), manufacturing (80 percent), and burning coal and gas to make electricity (76 percent) as main sources of emissions causing climate change while far fewer knew that activities related to agriculture and heating and cooling buildings and homes are contributing factors.
Many believe plastic trash and ultraviolet radiation from the sun are major reasons for climate change though they aren’t, according to the brief.
Only one in three teens surveyed see climate change as having a major impact on where they currently live.
“Teens better understand the impacts of climate change on extreme weather damaging property and animals losing habitats over impacts on people,” according to the brief. “While 69 percent of respondents saw climate change resulting in extreme weather damaging homes and 58 percent identifying polar bears and other animals losing their habitats, fewer understood the impact on people’s health. Only 45 percent understood the impact of climate change on allergies and asthma and only 43 percent on hunger and malnutrition.”
Read more results from the survey as well as solutions to climate change identified by This Is Planet Ed in the brief.
