New York State, National Organizations Rally Behind New Climate Education Legislation

Cait Fallon
Jan 23, 2024

Albany, N.Y. – The National Wildlife Federation and more than 240 local and national organizations, community members and educators are calling on New York legislators to pass Bill S278A/A1559A. Introduced by Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-N.Y.) and Assembly member JoAnne Simon (D-N.Y.), the bill would ensure students in the state receive comprehensive education that equips them with the understanding and skills to navigate the complex challenges of climate change in their communities and state. An intergenerational group of students and adults from across New York will convene in Albany today and over the next several months to encourage legislative support of the bill.

“Increasing access to climate education in New York is a matter of both generational and racial justice. The climate crisis, caused by previous generations, will have detrimental impacts on future generations. These communities will experience the first and worst climate impacts,” said Emily Fano, senior manager of climate resilience education with the National Wildlife Federation. “New York has an obligation to ensure that its youngest and most vulnerable citizens gain the critical knowledge and skills they need to advocate for change and transform their communities. The passage of this legislation is critical to achieving this with robust K-12 climate education curricula, professional learning opportunities for teachers, and green career and technical education programs.”

Bill S278A/A1559A includes provisions that will:

Empower educators to explore the causes and impacts of climate change as well as its solutions
Provide professional learning opportunities, curricular resources, and ongoing support for teachers
Develop green Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, and assessment instruments related to climate education
Establish expectations for pre-service teacher certification programs
Establish a coordinating Office of Climate Education and Workforce Development.

According to a 2021 survey of 1,516 New York City public school teachers conducted by the Climate and Resilience Education Task Force in partnership with the United Federation of Teachers, 68 percent of educators say they don’t have time to teach about climate change, with 52 percent are only teaching about the topic for one to two hours per school year.

New York is the fourth most populous state in the U.S. and has the largest school district in the country. The climate crisis represents a significant threat to the state’s 19.5 million inhabitants, including its more than 2.5 million K-12 public school students. In the coming decades, more frequent extreme weather events, rising temperatures and extreme heat, changing precipitation, sea level rise, and the loss of land, homes, businesses, and lives will impact New York. A majority of New Yorkers (84 percent) agree that students should be learning about global warming in school.

The organizations listed below call on the New York State legislature to swiftly pass bill S278A/A1559A and ensure our youth and educators receive the education, resources and skills they need to fight climate change and lead us into the future.