Here’s Why Tackling Climate Disinformation Is On The COP30 Agenda

“COP30 will be the COP of truth,” declared Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the opening of the ongoing UN climate conference, setting a critical tone for the annual meeting where upholding facts has emerged as a pillar of climate action. A significant step in this direction took place on November 12 at COP30, with the launch of a Declaration on Information Integrity aimed at global cooperation for combating climate misinformation.

For the first time in the history of the COPs, information integrity, which refers to the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of information, features on the official action agenda.

“In the era of misinformation, obscurantists reject not only the evidence of science but also the advances of multilateralism. They manipulate algorithms, sow hatred and spread fear. They attack institutions, science and universities,” Lula said in the opening speech earlier this week. “It is time to deliver yet another defeat to denialism.”

The theme continued from the Leaders’ Summit, that preceded COP30, where Lula warned that fake news fabricated for electoral gains is an “outdated model perpetuated for social and economic inequalities and environmental degradation.” At the Summit, French President Emmanuel Macron added that climate disinformation today threatens democracies, the Paris Agenda and therefore the world’s collective security.

The groundwork for addressing climate disinformation within the COP process was laid at COP26 in Glasgow, when individuals and civil society organisations pushed for action against climate-related misinformation. Since then, research and evidence-building have strengthened the understanding of climate disinformation and there has been institutional recognition, such as from the European Union and the UN, for it.

The efforts, in the run up to COP30, were codified a year ago, when a few countries, led by Brazil, along with the UNESCO and UN, established the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, to contribute to “investigating, exposing, and dismantling disinformation related to climate change, as well as the socialisation of the results of the research.”

Countries commit to information integrity

On November 12, this Initiative for Information Integrity, launched a Declaration at COP30, establishing shared international commitments to address climate disinformation and promote accurate, evidence-based information on climate issues. The Declaration has been endorsed by 12 countries so far — Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, Netherlands and Belgium. India is not currently part of the list of countries that have endorsed it.

Speaking at a press conference, on whether there are discussions with India or China to endorse the Declaration, João Brant, Secretary of Digital Policies, Brazil, said, “We did a first round of invitations at the end of G20 for G20 [countries] one year ago. Now we will restart inviting countries to the Initiative, and we are interested in all the countries that are committed to the principles related to the Initiative — freedom of expression, access to information and information integrity as part of that.”

“As the UN we are engaging with all our 193 member states on issues related to information integrity and climate action,” added Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Advisor on Information Integrity at the UN Department of Global Communications. Scaddan highlighted that just over a year ago, at a UN Summit, member states agreed to the Global Digital Compact, a framework to guide cooperation on digital technology which outlines commitments to information integrity and digital trust and safety. “Member countries have commitments, and we (the Initiative) are here to help them meet the commitments and offer resources,” she said.

Since its launch in June 2025, the Initiative’s Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change has received 447 proposals from nearly 100 countries, including India. “With initial funding of $1 million from the Government of Brazil, the Fund has begun supporting its first wave of projects across multiple continents, with nearly two thirds of eligible proposals originating from the Global South,” the Initiative has said in a statement.

The new Declaration calls on governments to ensure funds to research climate information integrity, especially in developing countries. It also urges the private sector to commit to information integrity in their business practices and ensure transparent, human-rights responsible advertising practices that bolster information integrity and support reliable journalism.

“The Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change is a crucial and encouraging step, affirming that reliable information is essential for both climate action and democratic stability. However, we must treat this as a starting point, not a finish line. The deliberate weaponisation of climate issues to fuel polarisation is a clear and present danger — it not only stalls urgent action but fundamentally erodes our democracies,” Jennifer Morgan, Senior Fellow, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, said in a statement to the media.

The Declaration’s launch was among events and press briefings held on the conference’s third day, officially declared as Information Integrity Day.

“The world is finally recognising the climate crisis is also an information crisis,” said Thais Lazzeri, Founder of media studio Fala, at a separate press conference on information integrity, led by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD). “COP30 is not just an opportunity to act for the climate. It is a chance to rebuild trust, the foundation of every climate action. Climate disinformation weakens policies, delays transitions and costs lives.”

An open letter, supported by more than 400 signatories, representing civil society organisations, corporations, Indigenous communities and more, was also released at the press conference. It called on “national government delegations to champion a strong, ambitious, and mandatory decision at COP30 to uphold information integrity on climate change.” The CAAD-led letter, endorsed by civil society organisations, including Climate Action Network South Asia and the Indian Youth Climate Network, warned that climate disinformation poses a threat to public health, human rights, and global security.

(Published under Creative Commons from Mongabay India)