Millions of people around the world go to Google to get information about climate change and sustainability. Later this month, when users search for “climate change,” they will be able to find authoritative information from the United Nations. In addition to organic search results, Google will surface short and easy-to-understand text blurbs and visuals on the causes and effects of climate change as well as individual actions that people can take to help tackle the climate crisis.
“We are happy to team with Google to ensure that factual, trustworthy content about climate is available to as wide a global audience as possible,” said Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. “Misinformation is so widespread these days that it threatens progress and understanding on many critical issues, including climate. The need for accurate, science-based information on a subject like climate change has therefore never been greater.”
In his recent report, Our Common Agenda, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for tackling the “infodemic” of misinformation plaguing the world and proposed introducing a global code of conduct that promotes integrity in public information and facts and science in public discourse.
For Google, the Search features are part of a larger push to build products and tools that empower people to better understand and limit their personal environmental impact. “Global search interest in ‘how to be sustainable’ reached an all-time high this year,” said Chris LaRosa, Senior Product Manager. “At Google, we believe technology has a crucial role to play in a carbon-free future and we want to help people make more sustainable choices every day.”
The content will go live on Google Search in English, French, and Spanish this month. Other languages are expected to follow later.
Additional links: