COP30 Unveils Declaration to Combat Climate Misinformation

In a historic first for the UN Climate Change Conference, combating climate misinformation has emerged as a central focus of international negotiations at COP30 in Belém. The newly launched Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate brings together nations, UN agencies, and civil organizations in a coordinated effort to address false information that undermines climate action.

The declaration, unveiled on Wednesday, calls on governments worldwide to implement policies ensuring transparency and safety for journalists, scientists, and environmental advocates while guaranteeing public access to critical climate data.

Guilherme Canela, Director of the Division of Digital Inclusion, Policies and Digital Transformation at UNESCO, emphasized the significance of this development in an exclusive interview with CENARIUM.

“This is the first COP in history where information integrity is one of the guiding principles of the negotiations,” Canela stated. “This issue will not disappear with this COP. It is important that this is not the first and the last in which this topic has been placed as an important pillar.”

The Belém Declaration acknowledges that addressing the climate crisis requires not only political action but also mobilization of society based on reliable, science-based information. It explicitly recognizes the threats posed by misinformation, climate denialism, and attacks against journalists and scientists working on environmental issues.

A key component of the initiative is a newly established fund prioritizing actors from developing nations, addressing a critical gap in resources for climate research and investigative journalism in the Global South.

“We have already announced the first ten beneficiaries, all from the Global South, developing projects in the region. This is one of the fund’s priorities,” Canela noted, highlighting UNESCO’s commitment to technical cooperation and capacity building while maintaining a non-negotiable stance on protecting freedom of expression and access to information.

The declaration also extends beyond governmental action, encouraging the private sector to adopt responsible advertising practices and calling on universities and funding organizations to support information integrity projects, particularly in developing countries.

Canela pointed to a troubling disconnect between awareness and action on climate change. “Research shows that 89% of people believe we have a climate change problem, but that number doesn’t translate into effective action,” he explained. “The volume of misinformation is likely influencing this inaction, despite the understanding that there is a problem.”

The urgency of addressing climate misinformation is supported by recent scientific research. A 2024 study published in PubMed revealed that misinformation about climate change operates as a coordinated strategy to obstruct environmental policies. After reviewing 75 articles published between 2019 and 2023, researchers found evidence of organized campaigns, often funded by fossil fuel interests, deliberately manipulating public debate to undermine support for climate action.

This challenge is particularly acute in developing countries. A 2025 study in the journal Comunicação e Sociedade examined the Brazilian context, finding that contemporary disinformation tactics have evolved beyond outright climate denial. Instead, misleading narratives now focus on discrediting proposed solutions, questioning energy transition policies, or minimizing environmental impacts.

“The priority of the fund and the Initiative’s actions is to ensure that countries in the Global South have the conditions to lead the construction of democratic and resilient digital ecosystems,” Canela emphasized. “This is essential to confront both disinformation and the climate crisis.”

The Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate represents a significant shift in international climate negotiations, recognizing that an informed public discourse is as essential to climate action as policy decisions themselves. By elevating information integrity to a central concern, COP30 acknowledges that combating climate change requires not only reducing carbon emissions but also protecting the information ecosystem that enables effective global response.

With the declaration now in place, attention will turn to implementation and ensuring that this historic recognition of information integrity translates into concrete action across both developed and developing nations.