Corporations and Governments Accused of Spreading Climate Change Disinformation

Climate Science Under Siege: The Ongoing Battle Against Disinformation

As global temperatures continue to rise due to human activity, the climate science community faces a growing threat beyond warming itself: systematic efforts to silence and undermine their research. Climate science has made remarkable progress over three decades, evolving from merely identifying human influence on global climate to precisely calculating the financial costs of specific impacts caused by individual corporate emissions.

This scientific advancement represents a significant achievement that should inform policy decisions worldwide. Instead, it has become the target of coordinated campaigns designed to prevent evidence-based climate action.

Across different countries, corporations and politicians have deployed what experts call the “disinformation playbook” to obstruct science-based policymaking. This strategy targets each of the three crucial stages through which scientific knowledge typically informs public policy, employing predictable tactics to disrupt the process at every turn.

Research conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists and other organizations has documented how the fossil fuel industry has systematically employed multiple strategies from this disinformation playbook. These tactics represent a coordinated effort to undermine climate science and delay meaningful action.

One common approach involves hiring scientists who use discredited methodologies while failing to disclose industry funding sources. This creates an appearance of legitimate scientific disagreement where little actually exists within the mainstream scientific community. By presenting these industry-funded perspectives as equivalent to peer-reviewed research, they manufacture an illusion of ongoing scientific debate.

The playbook also includes manufacturing doubt by deliberately exaggerating uncertainties in climate science. This tactic has specifically targeted educational settings, with campaigns aimed at teachers and students designed to foster skepticism about established climate science in young, impressionable audiences.

Perhaps most troubling is the harassment of climate scientists themselves. Researchers working on climate issues have reported intimidation, personal attacks, excessive freedom of information requests designed to impede their work, and even death threats. These tactics serve to discourage scientists from communicating their findings and can drive talented researchers from the field entirely.

The fossil fuel industry has additionally sought to “buy credibility” by funding academic institutions, think tanks, and seemingly independent organizations that then produce reports and public statements favorable to industry positions. This creates the impression of broad-based support for industry viewpoints.

Finally, the playbook includes direct manipulation of government officials through lobbying efforts, campaign contributions, and revolving door employment between industry and regulatory positions. These relationships help secure policies that prioritize industry interests over scientific evidence and public health concerns.

The stakes in this information battle have never been higher. As climate impacts intensify worldwide—from record-breaking heat waves and wildfires to devastating floods and storms—the need for clear, unobstructed communication of climate science grows increasingly urgent. The systematic efforts to silence this science represent a significant threat not only to scientific integrity but to humanity’s ability to effectively respond to the climate crisis.

Climate scientists now find themselves in an unprecedented position: their research simultaneously reveals unprecedented threats to global stability while being targeted by unprecedented campaigns to discredit their work. The future effectiveness of climate policy will depend largely on whether scientific evidence can overcome these organized disinformation efforts.

For concerned citizens, understanding these tactics represents the first step toward recognizing and countering climate disinformation. Distinguishing between legitimate scientific debate and industry-manufactured controversy has become an essential skill in navigating climate discussions in the public sphere.

As the climate crisis accelerates, the battle over climate science communication will likely intensify, making awareness of these disinformation strategies increasingly important for policymakers, journalists, educators, and the public.