A participant at COP30 during a photo session. PHOTO|UN Climate Change|Diego Herculano.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
A major milestone in the fight against climate change disinformation was reached at COP30 with the launch of the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, a historic agreement that prioritises the need for truthful, evidence-based information in tackling the climate crisis.
The Declaration, unveiled by the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, outlines international commitments to combat the growing tide of misinformation and disinformation surrounding climate science. It marks the first time that the issue of information integrity has been formally addressed at a UN Climate Conference.
In a powerful statement, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasised the urgency of the matter: “Climate change is no longer a threat of the future; it is a tragedy of the present. It is time to deliver yet another defeat to denialism,” he said in Belém, where COP30 is taking place.
The Declaration calls for concerted action by governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the media to confront the spread of falsehoods, denialism, and online harassment targeting climate scientists, journalists, and environmental defenders.
The agreement is a direct response to the rise in climate-related disinformation, which experts warn undermines public trust in climate action and threatens global efforts to address the crisis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced his support for the initiative, urging stakeholders to “fight mis- and disinformation, online harassment, and greenwashing.” He added, “Scientists and researchers should never fear telling the truth.”
The agreement has already been endorsed by ten nations, including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, and Sweden. These signatories have pledged to uphold the integrity of climate-related information at all levels, ensuring that policies and actions are grounded in reliable, fact-based science.
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, highlighted the importance of supporting journalists and researchers working on climate issues. “Without access to reliable information about climate disruption, we can never hope to overcome it,” she said. “We must protect those investigating climate change, sometimes at great personal risk.”
The Declaration also stresses the need for robust media ecosystems, transparency in business practices, and equity in the distribution of information.
Governments are called upon to ensure funding for research into climate information integrity, particularly in developing countries, while the private sector is urged to promote human-rights-responsible advertising that supports reliable journalism.
Notably, the Declaration has attracted further backing, with Belgium, Finland, and Germany joining as new members, bringing the total number of signatories to thirteen.
This growing international support underscores the widespread recognition that preserving information integrity is crucial to fostering effective, collective action on climate change.
The Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched in June 2025 with initial funding of USD 1 million from Brazil, is already supporting a range of projects worldwide, with nearly two-thirds of proposals coming from the Global South.
As the climate crisis accelerates, the Declaration represents a key step in uniting nations, civil society, and the private sector in the battle against climate disinformation—a threat that undermines global progress and hinders the urgent action needed to address climate change.
