The Brazilian government, the United Nations and UNESCO are joining forces to strengthen research and measures to address disinformation campaigns that are delaying and derailing climate action.
“We must also take on climate disinformation. Together with Brazil and UNESCO, the United Nations is launching the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change. We will work with researchers and partners to strengthen action against climate disinformation."
– United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change aims to boost support for urgent climate action at a time when scientists are warning that the world is running out of time.
Announced at the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024, the Initiative is a dedicated multilateral collaboration among States and international organizations to fund research and action promoting information integrity on climate issues.
“This initiative will bring together countries, international organizations, and networks of researchers to support joint efforts to combat disinformation and promote actions in preparation for COP30 in Brazil."
– President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil
Aiming to expand the scope and breadth of research into climate disinformation and its impacts, the effort will gather evidence from around the world to inform and bolster strategic action, advocacy and communications.
The Initiative responds to the commitment in the Global Digital Compact, adopted by United Nations Members States at the Summit of the Future in September 2024, which encourages UN entities, in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders, to assess the impact of mis- and disinformation on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Through this initiative, we will support the journalists and researchers investigating climate issues, sometimes at great risk to themselves, and fight the climate-related disinformation running rampant on social media."
– Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO
As part of the Initiative, a Global Fund will be created to finance networked, in-depth research that will contribute to exposing and dismantling disinformation related to climate change, as well as socializing the results of the research. The Fund will be administered and implemented by UNESCO and will be structured as a Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The Initiative will support and strengthen existing communications campaigns on climate change to mitigate and counter climate disinformation, particularly in the lead-up to the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP30, to be held in Brazil in November 2025. It will also support ongoing advocacy and communications to strengthen the integrity of information environments globally and work to garner support from civil society and scientific groups worldwide.
Among those joining the Initiative are UN Member States (Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, Sweden and the United Kingdom have confirmed participation), UN entities (UN Climate Change, the World Meteorological Organization), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and civil society representatives.
UN Global Principles for Information Integrity
The Initiative draws on the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity as an important framework for action.
The Principles envision an information ecosystem that delivers choice, freedom, privacy and safety for all, in which people everywhere can express themselves freely and make informed and independent decisions.
They put forward proposals to empower people all over the world by handing them greater control over the media they choose to consume, their own online experiences, and how their personal data is used.
The principles offer support to all those working to share facts in the public interest, as well as the vulnerable or marginalized voices that so often bear the brunt of targeted disinformation and hate campaigns.
‘Verified for Climate’
One of the ongoing key efforts to stand up to climate disinformation is Verified for Climate, a joint initiative of the United Nations and the social impact agency Purpose, promoting solutions-focused, science-based information to debunk myths and put an end to the narratives of denialism, doomism, and delay.
Originally launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Verified’ is a global communications infrastructure that addresses the most pressing and emerging challenges of mis- and disinformation around the world.
‘Verified for Climate’ is based on a three-pillar approach: trusted messenger and community engagement to engage and persuade audiences at a ground level; global creative campaigns to reach target audiences en masse and make visible the issue; and convenings that focus on insights from climate communications experts, leveraging solutions to encourage global cooperation.
Find out more from UNESCO about the Global Initiative.
Read about Brazil’s leadership role in the fight against disinformation.
Learn about the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, an important framework for action.
Explore Verified for Climate, a UN initiative to counter disinformation.
Gets tips on how to communicate on climate change.
Read our Myth Busters and get the facts on climate and energy.