Climate disinformation is increasingly undermining climate action across Europe, with misleading claims being amplified through mainstream media and online platforms, according to an analysis in partnership with Climate Action Against Disinformation and QuotaClimat.
The analysis says climate disinformation has become increasingly organised rather than remaining a collection of isolated incidents. It warns that repeated misleading narratives can influence public opinion, delay climate policies and weaken support for the transition to clean energy.
According to the European Digital Media Observatory, climate was the most targeted topic by online disinformation campaigns across the European Union in August 2025.
In several European countries misleading reports and claims have linked renewable energy with blackouts, higher electricity bills and industrial decline. The analysis argues that such narratives can shape public perceptions despite contradicting available evidence.
France recorded 665 misleading climate claims in mainstream broadcast media over a one year period according to monitoring cited in the analysis. Most of these claims were related to energy policy.
Regulatory enforcement has remained limited. The analysis highlighted a €20,000 fine imposed after economist Philippe Herlin described human caused climate change as a “lie” and a “scam” on French broadcaster. It described the action as an exception rather than a broader pattern of enforcement.
The UK has faced similar concerns. Ofcom has received more than 1,000 climate related complaints since 2020, while climate related claims broadcast by GB News have also attracted scrutiny.
The analysis also points to a geopolitical dimension, citing NATO assessments that Russia has promoted anti renewable narratives as part of efforts that could slow Europe shift away from fossil fuels. Such campaigns, it argues can affect energy security, investment and industrial policy.
Climate disinformation can become particularly harmful during extreme weather events. During the October 2024 floods in Valencia, Spain, false claims about the causes and scale of the disaster including conspiracy theories about weather manipulation and fabricated infrastructure failures gained millions of views online.
The report argues that disinformation does not need to convince everyone to cause damage. Creating confusion at critical moments can weaken public trust and interfere with disaster response and climate related decision making.
The European Union already has regulatory tools such as the Digital Services Act, the European Media Freedom Act and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. However the analysis says enforcement remains fragmented and definitions and obligations are not sufficiently clear.
It recommends limiting the algorithmic amplification of demonstrably misleading content while strengthening evidence based scrutiny and contextualisation in media coverage.
The analysis warns that as Europe advances its clean energy transition and climate policies, ensuring access to reliable information will be increasingly important for public trust effective policymaking and the continent’s ability to respond to climate risks.