Several European countries are among 13 nations who have signed the first-ever Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change. The signatories pledge to fight back against the flood of false content and protect those on the frontlines of truth: environmental journalists, scientists and researchers.
The declaration, unveiled under the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change at UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belém, Brazil, calls for concrete steps to dismantle networks of climate lies and shield evidence-based voices from harassment and attacks.
States also commit to supporting the sustainability of a diverse and resilient media ecosystem to ensure accurate and reliable coverage of climate and environmental issues.
Supported by an initial contribution of one million dollars from Brazil, a global fund for climate change information integrity has been established. It is currently funding its first series of projects, nearly two-thirds of which come from developing countries. It has already received 447 proposals from almost 100 countries.
A first on the COP agenda
It is the first time the topic of information integrity has been included on the agenda of a COP.
“In the era of disinformation, obscurantists reject not only scientific evidence but also the progress of multilateralism,” said Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his opening address at the conference.
“They control algorithms, sow hatred, and spread fear. They attack institutions, science, and universities. It is time to once again defeat the denialists.”
The document calls on endorsing countries to promote the integrity of information related to climate change at the international, national, and local levels, in accordance with international human rights law, including standards on freedom of expression. They also pledge to support the sustainability of a diverse and resilient media ecosystem to ensure accurate and reliable coverage of climate and environmental issues.
Signed by 13 countries
At a press encounter to discuss the initiative, on the margins of COP30, the United Nations Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, Charlotte Scaddan said: “purveyors of climate disinformation don’t simply deny climate change. They undermine climate action by attacking researchers, scientists, and journalists personally; by questioning the scientific consensus around climate change and creating false narratives around climate solutions.”
The declaration has already been endorsed by 13 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, and the Netherlands.