Strengthening Information Integrity for Climate Action

During New York Climate Week, the SDG Media Zone hosted a panel discussion on “Strengthening Information Integrity for Climate Action” as part of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.

The conversation, moderated by Mark Gongloff of Bloomberg, brought together:

• Charlotte Scaddan, UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity
• João Brant, Secretary for Digital Policy, Government of Brazil
• Kate Cell, CAAD Policy Lead & Senior Campaign Manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists

Participants underscored that solutions and responses should be carried out through multistakeholder action and grounded in human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and access to information. Participants recognized that efforts to undermine climate information integrity are well funded by fossil fuel and other interests and target policy and decision makers in addition to local communities. They provided concrete examples of how funding for research, strategic action, community engagement, strategic communications, public interest journalism, advocacy and capacity building can effectively mitigate the impacts of climate disinformation and related tactics.

Increased funding is essential for addressing the gaps in research and programmes in the Global South and in languages other than English. As emerging technologies advance and large technology companies gain greater control over information ecosystems, participants stressed the urgent need for private sector accountability and action to protect climate information integrity at this pivotal moment.

The Challenge of Climate Disinformation

Charlotte Scaddan described the convergence of two urgent crises: the climate emergency and declining trust in information ecosystems. She highlighted the role of AI-driven false narratives in amplifying these risks:

“We’re at the point where people don’t really know what to trust, what information is reliable, what to believe… Climate disinformation has been around for decades, but we’re now seeing it spread at scale through highly targeted campaigns against communities and policymakers with minimal cost and effort.”

Balancing Integrity and Democracy

Asked how Brazil addresses disinformation without undermining free expression, João Brant emphasized that democratic values and accurate information should reinforce each other, not compete:

“I wouldn’t see tension between keeping democratic discourse and tackling disinformation – I think we could actually see that as a convergence… That’s why we are basing our work on the UN’s Global Principles on Information Integrity and international standards for freedom of expression and access to information.”

Defending Science and Solidarity

Kate Cell spoke about the increasing harassment and threats faced by scientists, but also the resilience of the scientific community in pushing back against misinformation:

“When the Department of Energy released its sham climate report, what encouraged me most was how scientists spoke up – not line by line, but by clearly saying, ‘This is my work, it’s been misrepresented, and this is the truth.’”She underscored the importance of global solidarity in isolating climate disinformation wherever it arises, so that it does not stall progress worldwide.

Key Takeaway

The panelists agreed: protecting the integrity of climate information is essential for effective climate action. From strengthening global principles to supporting scientists on the front lines, building trustworthy information ecosystems is critical to advancing solutions to the climate crisis.

 

You can watch the full panel discussion here.