Understanding and Countering Climate Change Misinformation

Climate change disinformation experts convened at Yale on May 29, 2025, to discuss the growing challenge of misleading information hampering climate action worldwide.

The Yale Center for Environmental Communication hosted the high-profile panel discussion, bringing together leading researchers and specialists to examine how climate misinformation spreads and what can be done to combat it. The conversation, moderated by Yale Program on Climate Change Communication Director Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, featured Philip Newell from Climate Action Against Disinformation, Cristina López from social media intelligence firm Graphika, and Dr. Sander van der Linden, a renowned psychologist from the University of Cambridge.

The panelists painted a concerning picture of how deliberate disinformation campaigns continue to undermine public understanding and policy progress on climate issues. “What we’re seeing isn’t just random misinformation, but coordinated efforts to sow doubt about established climate science,” explained Newell, whose organization tracks climate disinformation across platforms.

López, whose work at Graphika involves analyzing information networks, presented evidence showing how climate falsehoods often spread through sophisticated digital networks designed to amplify misleading content. “These aren’t just isolated posts anymore,” López noted. “We’re tracking networks that can push disinformation from fringe platforms into mainstream conversation within hours.”

Dr. van der Linden, known for his pioneering work on psychological inoculation against misinformation, highlighted which demographics appear most vulnerable to climate disinformation. “There are certain psychological patterns that make some groups more susceptible,” he explained. “But we’re also finding promising evidence that pre-bunking techniques—essentially warning people about misleading tactics before they encounter them—can significantly reduce the effectiveness of disinformation.”

The timing of the discussion is particularly relevant as global climate policy negotiations face increasing headwinds from well-funded opposition campaigns. Recent studies have documented a 300% increase in climate disinformation across social media platforms in the past eighteen months, correlating with key international climate summits and domestic policy debates.

The experts emphasized that climate disinformation has evolved beyond simply denying that climate change exists. Modern tactics include exaggerating the costs of renewable energy transitions, promoting conspiracy theories about climate scientists, and suggesting that individual countries need not act until others do more.

“What makes this particularly challenging is that the sources have become more sophisticated,” Leiserowitz explained. “We’re no longer just dealing with obvious industry-funded think tanks. Today’s disinformation often comes packaged through seemingly independent influencers and artificial grassroots movements.”

The panel discussed several promising countermeasures, including enhanced media literacy programs, improved platform policies around climate content, and better collaboration between scientists, journalists, and policymakers. López highlighted successful case studies where coordinated responses to disinformation campaigns effectively limited their reach and impact.

The Yale event comes at a critical juncture for climate action. With global temperatures continuing to rise and extreme weather events becoming more frequent, the stakes of public understanding and policy support have never been higher.

“The battle against climate disinformation is fundamentally about ensuring democratic processes can function properly,” van der Linden emphasized. “When the public and policymakers can’t access accurate information about such a critical issue, it undermines our ability to make informed decisions.”

The panelists concluded by calling for increased resources for monitoring and countering climate disinformation, suggesting that both governmental and private sector investment will be necessary to address the scale of the challenge.

Yale’s climate communication center plans to release a comprehensive report based on the discussion, including practical recommendations for journalists, platforms, educators, and policymakers confronting climate disinformation. The center has established itself as a leading voice in climate communication research, regularly publishing influential studies on public climate attitudes and effective messaging strategies.

The full discussion is available to view on the Yale Center for Environmental Communication’s website and YouTube channel.