'COP of truth': Countries commit to tackling climate disinformation at UN climate summit

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🗞️ Driving the news: For the first time in UN history, countries at COP30 have formally committed to tackling climate disinformation through a new Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change
• The declaration, launched in Belém, Brazil, was endorsed by 12 countries including Brazil, France, Germany, and Canada
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the summit by urging world leaders to “defeat denialism,” calling COP30 the “COP of truth”

🔭 The context: The declaration, led by the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change — a partnership between Brazil, the UN, and UNESCO — seeks to counter a surge in climate misinformation that threatens global cooperation
• Ahead of COP30, disinformation related to the summit rose by 267%, with online narratives portraying the conference as a “failure” or “catastrophe”
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres and other leaders have warned that false narratives are undermining climate action and public trust in science
• On illuminem Christiana Figueres, Laurence Tubiana, and several sustainability top personalities published an open letter calling for information integrity and COP

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Disinformation weakens democratic dialogue and slows progress on climate mitigation and adaptation
• By promoting information integrity, governments aim to safeguard evidence-based policymaking, strengthen public trust in science, and counter the influence of fossil fuel interests and digital misinformation networks
• Accurate communication is essential for mobilizing support for ambitious emissions reductions and equitable climate finance

⏭️ What's next: Signatories pledged six commitments, including protecting free speech while ensuring accurate climate reporting, supporting independent media, and improving public access to verified data
• The declaration also calls on private companies to ensure transparency and responsibility in advertising and content moderation
• More nations are expected to join before COP30 concludes, setting the stage for coordinated global efforts to counter climate misinformation by 2026

💬 One quote: “The winners in this disinformation economy are fossil fuel interests, certain political actors, and digital influencers who monetise lies.” — Charlotte Scaddan, UN Global Communications advisor

📈 One stat: A 267% increase in climate disinformation was recorded ahead of COP30, according to the Observatory for Information Integrity

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