At Bonn talks, climate and communications experts slam fossil fuel-backed misinformation campaigns
Climate and communication experts meeting at the SB62 climate talks in Bonn have accused fossil fuel companies, certain political figures, governments, paid scientific ‘experts,’ as well as legacy and social media platforms, of leading a campaign of misinformation on climate change.
Speaking at a session on information integrity, Joao Brant from the COP30 Presidency described climate misinformation as a major issue for the upcoming summit in Belem, and noted that efforts were underway to mobilise action and build a global alliance to counter false narratives.
He lauded the launch last year of the Global Initiative for Information and Integrity on Climate Change, mooted by the COP30 Presiency in partnership with UNESCO. The International Panel on Information and Environment (IPIE), one of the leading bodies in the climate space, is tracking how disinformation spreads and who benefits.
Speakers at the session included representatives from the UNFCCC, UNESCO, the IPCC and the Forum for Information and Democracy. They noted a shift from outright climate denial to what they called “strategic scepticism”, a more subtle form of misinformation that casts doubt on science without directly denying it. This messaging is now embedded in corporate sustainability reports, traditional media, and social media algorithms.
Mohamed Adow, Director and Founder of Power Shift Africa, reacting to the deliberations, said that, “at Power Shift Africa, we believe that information is power; not just a tool, but a weapon in the fight for climate justice”.
“Accurate and accessible information can mean the difference between action and inaction, between resilience and collapse, and between life and death,” he added. “Misinformation, on the other hand, fuels denial, delays policy, and deepens inequality. That’s why we, together with our partners, are committed to defending the integrity of climate science and amplifying the voices too often excluded, especially from the Global South. Because without truth, there can be no trust. And without trust, no meaningful progress.”
Policymakers are among the main targets of these scepticism campaigns, with misinformation efforts designed to delay or weaken regulation. “It’s not just the public being misled, decision-makers are in the crosshairs too,” said one panellist.
Concerns were also raised about the availability of communication and information data from the Global South, as well as the lack of real-time transparency by digital platforms.
The meeting heard that deliberate efforts to discredit and undermine robust evidence are distoring public perception and weakening science-based policies. Scientists and climate advocates are targeted, with vulnerable and marginalised voices often bearing the brunt of disinformation and hate campaigns.
The disinformation, the meeting heard, flows in different forms, including conspiracy theories, climate denialism and false or decontextualised narratives that seek to minimise climate impacts, promote false environmental solutions, and discredit evidence-based policies and solutions.
