California lawmakers advance bill to create State Seal of Climate Literacy
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- SB 1048 passed unanimously in the Assembly Standing Committee on Education on July 2.
- The Superintendent must recommend seal criteria before July 1, 2027.
- Local agencies choosing to participate must set eligibility processes by 2028–2029.
A bill to establish a State Seal of Climate Literacy was passed by the Assembly Education Committee unanimously. The proposal builds on existing seals for civics education and biliteracy to recognize high school graduates for civic and language excellence.
Senate Bill 1048 aims to give “high school pupils personal agency to help them and their communities understand and adapt to the effects of climate change.”
The bill, authored by Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, requires the superintendent of public instruction to recommend criteria for awarding the seal before July 1, 2027. The measure asks the superintendent to consider including the completion of at least two approved courses in climate literacy and the completion and presentation of a climate literacy “experiential learning project.”
“This measure creates a meaningful way for students to showcase valuable knowledge and skills on their diploma,” Becker said during a July 1 Assembly hearing for the bill. “Employers are increasingly seeking workers with climate literacy and workforce-ready green skills.”
The State Board of Education must adopt a set of criteria students must meet to earn the seal by Jan. 1, 2028. If signed into law, students who are awarded the seal would receive an insignia on their diplomas or transcripts. By the 2028-2029 school year, participating educational agencies would be required to establish local programs that help students become eligible for the seal.
Atlas Jackmon, a community impact coordinator for the California Center for Civic Participation, said the climate literacy seal could help reduce climate anxiety among young adults by “providing actionable steps to make a tangible difference in their communities.”
Jackmon runs CalCenter’s Young Climate Champions program, an eight-month course that connects high school students with climate experts from a variety of fields. At the end of the program, students work on a digital advocacy project regarding an environmental issue they’re passionate about.
The State Seal of Climate Literacy would help students involved in programs like Jackmon’s by strengthening their college applications and encouraging them to develop skills for climate activism, they said.
“I think having that seal will help [students] strengthen the resources and skills they are gaining to bolster their activism,” Jackmon said. “I’m super excited to see where it goes. I really hope the curriculum connects students to other statewide initiatives…which would expand on the experiential learning they would gain through the state seal program.”
The proposal for a climate literacy seal follows the 2020 implementation of the California State Seal of Civic Engagement, which former Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in 2017. The law requires the Superintendent to consider completion of history, government and civics courses and participation in community service and extracurricular activities to determine students’ eligibility.
The seal of civic engagement is awarded to “pupils attending public school who have demonstrated excellence in civics education,” according to the California Department of Education website.
Since 2012, California high school students have also been eligible for the State Seal of Biliteracy. Authored by former Assemblywoman Julia Brownley D-Westlake Village, it recognizes “high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 4:58 PM with the headline "California lawmakers advance bill to create State Seal of Climate Literacy."
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