How Mis/Disinformation Derails Climate Action
By: Florence Ogola Fuchs
January 7, 2026
“Is climate change real?” This debate has arisen in recent years due to misinformation and disinformation surrounding the topic of climate change. The spread of false narratives casts doubt on scientific findings, weakening grassroots support for ambitious climate policies as people question the urgency of climate action. Politicians, regulators, and policymakers are deliberately targeted with information framing climate policies as costly, a threat to livelihoods, or unfair, thereby slowing down international and multilateral agreements.
In the corporate world, greenwashing is rife. Some companies are misleading consumers by exaggerating or fabricating their environmental responsibility, making products or practices seem “eco-friendly,” distracting from real accountability. Such practices of misinformation are undermining genuine sustainability efforts, making it harder for consumers to make responsible choices.
Procter & Gamble was accused of greenwashing its Charmin toilet paper by claiming that it was eco-friendly. A lawsuit put out against them claimed that although P&G promoted its commitment to responsible forestry, they sourced wood pulp from Canada’s boreal forest, a vital area for biodiversity and carbon storage. Here are more examples of greenwashing.
The presence of over 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyist at COP30 is an example of the push by industries to spread misleading information about the climate crisis in order to undermine trust among countries and delay global action.
Misinformation and disinformation are now recognised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as among the greatest barriers to effective climate action. They erode public trust, stall policy progress, and distort the debate. The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has added a new layer to this challenge, accelerating the spread of unverified information. While generative AI is a powerful and valuable tool, it can also produce outputs that appear convincing yet are factually inaccurate.
Social media platforms amplify the spread of this false information using automated bots and coordinated networks. Social media algorithms often reward sensational misinformation over nuanced science.
Not just a Risk Communication Issue
Misinformation surrounding climate change may have dire consequences in the future if not addressed. For example, communities at the frontlines of climate-induced disasters might ignore early warning because they are unsure what information to trust. This can put lives in danger by delaying evacuations.
Canada is one of the countries that is taking on climate misinformation head-on. Canada has now categorized climate change-related misinformation as not just a communication problem, but a matter of national security. This move is due to the fact that emergency response systems rely heavily on public trust to function effectively. As climate-induced disasters including, wildfires and floods grow in intensity, emergency systems rely heavily on the assumption that people at the frontlines believe the early warning information they receive and act on it in time.
During the 2025 wildfires in Canada, false information on the cause made rounds on social media delaying evacuations. These social media posts claimed that the wildfires were intentionally set and the government evacuation orders were overreach. Smoke maps were also labbelled “manipulated,” leading to public mistrust of the official warnings.
In 2019, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Madagascar were hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai that left over 1000 people dead and 2.5 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Mozambique which was the worst hit, registered an estimated 648 deaths. Prior to the disaster, the government of Mozambique had put out early warning messages. Rumours made rounds suggesting that the cyclone’s severity was overstated to attract aid, leading to many ignoring evacuation alerts.
In Pakistan, both Federal and Provincial governments have been criticised for failing to address governance gaps in disaster management, forecasting, and early warning systems. As a result, communities often turn to social media for information during crises and climate-induced disasters. A report by the Digital Rights Foundation on flood-related communication highlights how the surge of misinformation and the sensationalization of content on these platforms have fueled confusion and hindered coordinated response efforts. In a country highly vulnerable to monsoon floods, the availability of timely and trusted information is essential for saving lives and minimizing losses.
Why it Matters
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil thirteen countries including, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Belgium, Canada, Finland, and Germany, signed the first-ever Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change. The declaration commits countries to safeguard scientists, journalists, and NGOs from attacks and denialist campaigns. This was a historical moment as it marked the first time climate misinformation was formally addressed at a UN climate summit.
Fighting the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation requires a global approach. Governments, civil society, academia, donors, and the private sector must come together and speak with one voice. Countries must strengthen their early warning systems, put in place laws to curb misinformation, and empower their citizens to identify false information while ensuring transparency with their citizens on matters of policy. Also, pressure must be put on tech companies to curb bot-driven disinformation campaigns.
Countries that signed the COP30 Declaration on Information Integrity are now implementing domestic measures, including media literacy campaigns, fact-checking networks, tech platform regulation, and protections for scientists and journalists. It is critical that more countries sign and adopt this declaration; failure to which misinformation may persist in non signatory nations. Below are some examples of how these countries are domesticating the declaration.
Denmark is promoting transparency in renewable energy debates; funding independent watchdogs to monitor fossil fuel lobbying. Morocco is implementing rural education programs to counter misinformation about farming and water adaptation policies. Canada is emphasizing indigenous knowledge in climate communication, protecting indigenous leaders from targeted disinformation.
Finland is investing in digital literacy education, and integrating awareness of climate misinformation into its national school curricula. Germany, on the other hand, is leading corporate accountability efforts; cracking down on greenwashing and requiring transparent climate disclosures. Countries that have signed the declaration are demonstrating their commitment to combating misinformation; we need more countries, if not all, to be on board.
Tags : Climate Change, Climate Misinformation, Climate Disinformation, Early warning
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