“Battle for Truth” – Climate Conference tackles misinformation threatening climate action

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set the tone for the opening session, declaring that the COP 30 should be formed “A new defeat for climate change deniers”.

On Wednesday, 12 countries – including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and Spain – signed the first-ever Declaration on the Safety of Climate Change Information, pledging to combat the torrent of false content and protect those at the forefront of the truth, including environmental journalists, scientists and researchers.

The declaration – unveiled as part of the Global Climate Change Information Safety Initiative – calls for concrete steps to dismantle networks of climate lies and protect evidence-based voices from harassment and attacks. João Brandt, Brazilian Minister of Digital Policy, stated that the goal is simple but urgent “Create a wave of truth”.

The initiative, launched in June this year, is a partnership between Brazil, the United Nations Department for Global Outreach, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Direct threat

Federico Assis, the UN Climate Change Conference’s special envoy for information integrity, warned of the dangers of disinformation, telling UN News: “Disinformation, driven by ambiguous worldviews, fuels political extremism and puts lives at risk.”He added that there is a real danger of interfering in climate negotiations.

Assis continued: “There is widespread recognition that disinformation can influence and jeopardize every aspect of the COP process, including diplomatic negotiations, action agendas, mobilizations and summits. All of our efforts will be at risk if we fail to properly address disinformation stemming from denial.”.

He pointed to the role of algorithms in amplifying content “Conspiratorial and manipulative”is often used “Sophisticated methods for spreading false messages”. The Special Envoy’s mission is to keep the issue in the public spotlight and mobilize political, religious and social leaders, civil society and the media to respond.

Decode climate lies

For the first time, information integrity was on the conference agenda, an achievement that UNESCO’s Guilherme Cannella described as long overdue. In a statement to UN News, Cannella stressed that the global initiative aims to uncover the mechanisms that drive climate misinformation.

And he said: “We still know very little about the reasons behind this. For example, who funds these posts, and why do they spread faster than other types of content? How does this happen? If we do not understand these mechanisms, it will be very difficult to develop effective strategies to combat this phenomenon. The essence of this particular global initiative is to fund investigative journalism and research projects, especially in countries of the Global South, to uncover the truth of what is happening.”.

The Global Fund for Climate Change Information Integrity, established under this initiative, attracted 447 proposals from nearly 100 countries. With initial support of $1 million from Brazil, the Fund is financing its first round of projects; Nearly two-thirds of them are from developing countries. Cannella said it “Very rewarding” To see this issue “Cuddles tight in a cup-30”.

Misinformation tricks

Maria Clara Moraes, a UN-certified advocate and co-founder of the Marias Verdes Platform, is well aware of the nature of this battle. With more than half a million followers on TikTok, she says the fight against climate misinformation “It is completely possible, but it is also extremely difficult.”. She warned that these campaigns are highly organized and…“Supported by powerful forces, especially the fossil fuel industry.”adding that their narratives change over time.

She went on to say: “There are many types of misinformation. The strongest is to say that it is too late, that nothing can be done, or that events like the climate conference do not make a difference. This is also misinformation. Or to say that this does not work, that it is too slow, too complicated, and too frustrating. But we must constantly emphasize the value of pluralism and the importance of spaces like this.”.

A generation that refuses to give up

Despite the challenges, Moraes told us she sees hope in the younger generations. She said awareness of the climate emergency is growing rapidly through the production of content rooted in science and sustainability.

According to her, longer youth “A great source of hope and optimism”. She urged everyone to do their part in making this happen “small revolutions” Through everyday choices that support climate action and drive systemic change.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-30) confronts the existential challenge of climate change, the battle for truth has become as important as the battle for cutting emissions. If disinformation wins, the world risks losing not only time, but also trust, which is the essence of global cooperation. In Belém, leaders drew a line: the climate crisis cannot be solved in a fog of lies.