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PREPARING CLIMATE-READY GRADUATES FOR CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE
Senate bill 1048 (Becker) would create a VOLUNTARY statewide high school diploma distinction recognizing climate-ready graduates and strengthening California’s education and workforce pipelineS.
What is the Seal?
The California State Seal of Climate Literacy is a proposed voluntary high school diploma and transcript distinction that would recognize students who demonstrate strong climate knowledge, systems thinking, and applied problem-solving skills. Students would earn the Seal through interdisciplinary coursework and real-world, solutions-oriented projects connected to their local communities.
The Seal builds on the climate, environmental, and career-connected learning already happening across California schools, while offering a consistent, statewide signal of readiness for college, careers, and civic leadership in a changing climate.
HOW IT WORKS IN CALIFORNIA
In California, the Seal of Climate Literacy is advancing as a proposed policy initiative under the State Seal of Climate Literacy Act (SB 1048), authored by Senator Josh Becker. The proposal reflects growing interest from students, educators, workforce leaders, and policymakers who recognize climate literacy as essential to the state’s future.
Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) would opt in to offering the Seal and define specific coursework and project criteria within a shared statewide framework. This approach ensures local control while maintaining consistency and rigor across districts.
April 20, 2026: SB 1048 Clears the Senate Appropriations Committee
April 8, 2026: SB 1048 Clears the Senate Education Committee
RECENT Milestones
UPCOMING
Expected May 2026: Senate floor vote on SB 1048
“My peers and I have all felt the effects of climate change in our schools and our neighborhoods. We know the climate crisis is here – environmental education is the first step towards giving us the skills to mitigate the impacts in our community. A State Seal of Climate Literacy gives us the foundation to pursue careers, studies, and further advocacy in climate.”
Eleanor from El Cerrito High School
Preparing students for California's climate economy
California students are growing up amid intensifying climate impacts—from wildfires, extreme heat, and drought, to flooding, air quality challenges, and coastal change. At the same time, California continues to lead the nation in climate policy, clean energy, agriculture and food production, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental innovation.
As the state invests billions in climate mitigation, adaptation, and workforce development, climate literacy is paramount to our State’s future. The Seal of Climate Literacy would help align California’s education system with these investments, supporting students to graduate prepared to participate in—and lead—the state’s climate-resilient future.
Building on A STRONG FOUNDATION
California has spent decades building the nation’s strongest foundation for environmental and climate literacy in K–12 education. The proposed Seal of Climate Literacy builds on this long-standing commitment and helps prepare students for a climate-ready workforce.
Key milestones include:
Early policy leadership: Environmental education was established in the California Education Code (1976), followed by adoption of the Environmental Principles & Concepts (EP&Cs) through AB 1548 (2003) and expansion to include climate change and environmental justice through SB 720 (2018).
Integration across core instruction: The EP&Cs have been embedded in multiple state curriculum frameworks—including the 2016 Science Framework and History–Social Science Framework, with later integration into Health, Arts, World Languages, and Math Frameworks.
State-supported curriculum investments: California funded large-scale instructional resources including the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Curriculum (2010) and the Seeds to Solutions Climate Change and Environmental Justice Curriculum (2021 budget allocation).
Statewide education sector support: Organizations including the California Teachers Association (CTA), California School Boards Association (CSBA Policy 6142.5), and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT climate literacy resolution, 2018) have formally supported integrating environmental and climate literacy across subjects.
MEET THE PARTNERS ADVANCING CALIFORNIA’S SEAL
CALIFORNIA PARTNERAs California’s largest volunteer-led child advocacy organization, California State PTA supports state and local policies that address climate change. That includes raising awareness of environmental issues among our more than 3,000 local affiliate organizations, which include almost 500,000 students, parents, and educators.
Learn more at: https://capta.org/
California state PTA
CALIFORNIA PARTNERTEN STRANDS
A California-based nonprofit advancing environmental and climate literacy across TK–12 education. Serving as a statewide backbone organization, Ten Strands works at the intersection of policy, systems change, and educator support to ensure every student is prepared to participate in a climate-resilient future. In partnership with students, educators, and state leaders, Ten Strands is helping shape a voluntary Seal of Climate Literacy framework aligned with California’s climate leadership, workforce readiness, and equity goals.
Learn more at: https://tenstrands.org/
CALIFORNIA / NATIONAL PARTNERUndauntedK12
A national climate policy and advocacy leader in K-12 education. UndauntedK12 advances the Seal across new states by aligning policy expertise, youth voice, and movement-building strategy.
Learn more at: https://www.undauntedk12.org/
CALIFORNIA PARTNERSILICON VALLEY YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION (SVYCA)
A youth-led nonprofit that empowers teens and young adults across Silicon Valley to address climate change through education, civic engagement, and environmental policy advocacy. We represent youth through over 15 action teams (150+ students) across three counties, and our state advocacy team works to ensure California’s policies reflect a livable future for all. SVYCA hopes to further incorporate student voices and garner additional support for the Seal of Climate Literacy.
Learn more at: https://www.svyouthclimateaction.org/
NATIONAL PARTNERLYRA
Originators of the Seal of Climate Literacy and architects of its passage in Colorado. Lyra supports state implementation, resource development, and national strategy—grounded in local context and centered on rural and under-resourced communities.
Learn more at: https://www.lyracolorado.org/
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Help prepare climate-ready graduates for California now.
Request a Briefing: Email Sarah Cassanego, Program Manager, sarah.cassanego@undauntedk12.org
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