What is climate disinformation?
Climate disinformation is the deliberate spread of false or misleading information about climate change. It is manufactured to cause doubt, delay action, or protect vested interests.
Types of disinformation include:
- Denying science: by falsely claiming that climate change is not real or not caused by human activity.
- Distorting facts: by misrepresenting data and downplaying risks.
- Manipulating public debate: by creating misleading narratives, such as framing climate policies as harmful to ordinary people and ignoring long-term benefits to people and the planet.
Disinformation undermines public understanding and trust in the actions necessary to address the climate crisis, creating obstacles to the implementation of vital policies.
Where does climate disinformation come from?
Climate disinformation is often created and spread by fossil fuel companies and political groups, with ideological or financial motives to delay or obstruct climate action and hope to change perceptions to further benefit their profits.
What is climate misinformation?
Misinformation is when inaccurate and incorrect information is spread by someone who doesn’t realise that it is false.
Types of misinformation include individuals spreading outdated data, misinterpreting scientific findings, or sharing content from unreliable sources.
Countering disinformation requires lasting investment in building societal resilience and media and information literacy.
António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
How is C40 tackling disinformation?
As disinformation is amplified through social media and certain news outlets, C40 and our partners are calling out and proving disinformation both online and in the media.
In the face of geopolitical turmoil, increasingly polarised politics and rising levels of disinformation, there are many challenges for national governments and global institutions to implement climate action.
As cities work to protect their communities and reduce climate risks, disinformation creates confusion and divisions, making it harder to achieve the collective action needed. False narratives – whether about emissions, solutions, or the urgency of the issue – can delay essential climate measures and hinder cities’ climate progress.
C40 will continue to champion courageous decision-making by our mayors, cities and governments. We will challenge the disinformation spread by those with vested interests in delaying progress.
By sharing best practices, making and demanding investments, and pioneering new policies, we can keep residents safe and cities resilient. We are committed to tackling disinformation and delivering bold, inclusive climate action for people and the planet.
Where has disinformation affected climate issues?
How does misinformation affect cities and mayors?
Cities are increasingly becoming battlegrounds where opponents of climate action are exploiting societal polarisation and weaponising disinformation on climate.
To counter this, it’s vital to mobilise public support and create broader local alliances around climate policies. To do this successfully requires inclusive and equitable decision-making. It also requires a comprehensive public engagement and local coalition-building strategy to ensure that benefits are visible, public opinion and political support are mobilised and disinformation is countered.
Increasingly, to deliver climate action, mayors need to overcome attempts from those who continue to profit from fossil fuels to delay their efforts and spread confusion and disinformation about what is needed to achieve a thriving, climate-safe future for everyone. Building strong public support for climate action through credible and inclusive policies that share benefits and costs equitably – and through the collective mobilisations built around them – will be critical, not only for our mayors but for everyone striving to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown.