Efforts are underway nationwide to integrate climate change education into school lesson plans.

Just last year, New Jersey became the first state to mandate climate change lessons in pre-K, elementary school and secondary school.

A number of bills are proposed in New York state to establish similar mandates.

In the city, programs already exist that help educators learn how to include the new material in their teaching.

Anchor Rocco Vertuccio spoke with Christina Torres Sunday morning on NY1 about the importance of climate education.

Torres is the coordinator at the Center for Sustainable Futures at Teachers College, the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States.