In a bid to tackle climate disinformation and strengthen global climate action, the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change has launched a powerful call to action ahead of COP30. The initiative, jointly spearheaded by the United Nations, UNESCO, UNFCCC, and ten partner countries including Brazil, Chile, France, and the UK was formally introduced during the G20 Leaders’ Summit and is now moving toward its first major showcase at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, this November.
At its core, the initiative seeks to unite public institutions, civil society, private companies, and academic bodies under one mission: to combat the spread of climate denialism and misinformation that threatens to derail international efforts to curb the climate crisis. Framed under the COP30 Presidency’s action agenda—referred to as the Mutirão—the campaign focuses on practical, scalable actions to rebuild trust in climate science and foster collaborative, informed decision-making.
The call to action invites global stakeholders to submit their efforts across a range of key areas, including research into climate disinformation, development of digital fact-checking tools, support for environmental journalism, protection of climate data, and promotion of media literacy. These initiatives will be spotlighted at COP30 to inspire broader participation and reinforce the integrity of climate communication worldwide.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay underscored the urgent need to support journalists and researchers who investigate climate issues, often under threats or in hostile environments. “We will support the journalists and researchers investigating climate issues, sometimes at great risk to themselves, and fight the climate-related disinformation running rampant on social media,” she said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva echoed this concern, warning that denialism has become a significant barrier to climate progress. “Climate action is also deeply affected by denialism and disinformation. Countries cannot solve this problem alone,” he remarked, calling for unified global efforts to preserve access to credible information.
The initiative has already drawn support from a wide coalition of partners, including the IPCC, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Global Knowledge Network. Ana Toni, CEO of COP30, cautioned against the corrosive effects of disinformation on public trust and international cooperation. “If we start to doubt the system we are part of and abandon multilateralism, that is exactly the aim of disinformation: to isolate us and bring everything to a standstill,” she said.
As COP30 approaches, the campaign is positioning itself as a frontline defense against information warfare targeting climate efforts. By bringing transparency, truth, and trust into global climate discourse, the initiative aims not only to protect facts but also to empower action at all levels of society.