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Climate Misinformation Flourishes on Social Media During COP29, Study Finds
A few weeks ago, delegates from nearly 200 nations gathered in Azerbaijan for the 29th United Nations climate summit (COP29), focused on strategies to reduce emissions and slow dangerous global warming. Meanwhile, a parallel forum was unfolding online with a very different agenda – undermining the conference, promoting fossil fuels, and denying humanity’s role in climate change.
A new report published Friday by the international nonprofit Global Witness reveals that climate misinformation spread unchecked on TikTok during COP29, primarily in user comments on climate-related videos. The users they identified regularly denied human-caused global warming, describing climate change as a “lie” or “hoax” despite overwhelming scientific consensus.
Social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn have become efficient vehicles for spreading climate misinformation, often amplified by online influencers and prominent political figures, notably President-elect Donald Trump. This trend is particularly concerning as trust in science and journalism continues to decline in some communities.
Despite TikTok having policies prohibiting climate misinformation and even launching a $1 million initiative last year to support creators in developing educational content, the Global Witness investigation found significant gaps in enforcement. When researchers examined videos posted by major news outlets about COP29, they discovered at least 20 comments that directly denied climate change. When these comments were reported to TikTok, the company initially removed only one before later taking action on all flagged content.
This aligns with reporting from the conference, where U.N. officials launched an initiative to combat climate misinformation at an international scale. Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, reinstating accounts previously banned for spreading disinformation, climate denial content has proliferated on the platform.
Research published in February found that a handful of individuals have an outsized influence on climate denial beliefs on social media. Using artificial intelligence to analyze data from 2017 to 2019, researchers identified Donald Trump as having the greatest impact on climate denialism on Twitter, alongside media outlets like The Daily Wire, Breitbart, and Climate Depot that frequently amplified his messaging.
“During the 2017-2019 study period, the most heavily retweeted post includes one by Trump that questions climate change due to unusually cold weather in the U.S.,” noted co-author Joshua Newell, a professor at the University of Michigan. The research also found that climate skeptics and believers often form separate “echo chambers” with minimal interaction between them.
Extreme weather events tend to trigger waves of climate misinformation. Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year, conspiracy theories circulated claiming the government created the storms using nonexistent weather machines or that solar geoengineering (which is not being implemented at scale anywhere) worsened the weather.
During these events, meteorologists faced accusations of pushing a “climate change agenda” and received threats from viewers. James Marshall Shepherd, former NASA scientist and director of the University of Georgia’s atmospheric sciences program, told Yale Environment 360 that while harassment was previously confined to fringe elements, it has become more mainstream.
Similar patterns emerged after the 2023 Maui wildfires, with social media posts falsely claiming government laser beams or TV personality Oprah Winfrey started the fires. Research shows these false claims were amplified by Russian state media and China, aligning with a NATO report highlighting how foreign social media campaigns aim to “exploit emotions, sow distrust in official response and otherwise impair Allies’ ability to respond effectively to crises.”
Many environmental disinformation campaigns have been linked to industries that could benefit from undermining climate action. Researchers at Brown University recently uncovered a network of conservative think tanks and fossil fuel interest groups funding anti-offshore wind campaigns disguised as whale activism, despite limited evidence connecting turbines to whale mortalities.
Social media can be both a challenge and opportunity for climate communication. While environmentalists call on platforms to better moderate climate misinformation, climate activists like Greta Thunberg have leveraged these same platforms to organize international climate movements and directly challenge denialism. With over 5 million followers on X, Thunberg has documented protests and confronted climate skeptics, including Trump.
As misinformation continues to evolve online, nonprofit organizations are deploying various tactics to combat climate myths, from debunking tools to educational campaigns. The battle over climate truth on social media platforms remains a crucial front in addressing the global climate crisis.
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14 Comments
This is a concerning trend that undermines efforts to address the climate crisis. Social media platforms must do more to combat the spread of misinformation and ensure users have access to credible, science-based information on this critical issue.
Agreed. The proliferation of climate denial and conspiracy theories on social media is particularly troubling. We need a concerted effort to promote digital literacy and fact-based discourse around climate change.
This is a worrying trend. Social media has become a breeding ground for climate denial and conspiracy theories. We need stronger moderation and fact-checking to counter the spread of misinformation, which can have real-world consequences.
Absolutely. The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and we can’t afford to have it undermined by the spread of false information online. Platforms have a responsibility to address this issue.
The findings in this report are deeply concerning. The ability of climate misinformation to spread rapidly on social media platforms is a major challenge that undermines efforts to address the climate crisis. We need a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to combat this trend.
Absolutely. Social media companies, policymakers, educators, and the public all have a role to play in promoting digital literacy and ensuring access to accurate, science-based information on climate change. Tackling misinformation must be a top priority.
It’s disheartening to see how climate misinformation can gain traction on social media, especially during important events like COP29. We need to find ways to empower people to think critically about the information they encounter online and rely on trusted, reputable sources.
I agree. The spread of climate denial and conspiracy theories on social media is a serious threat to public understanding and action on this critical issue. Improving digital literacy and fact-checking must be a priority.
The ability of climate misinformation to spread rapidly on social media is deeply worrying. It’s critical that we find ways to counter this trend and ensure people have access to accurate, evidence-based information about the climate crisis.
Absolutely. Social media platforms have a responsibility to implement robust moderation and fact-checking measures to limit the spread of false and misleading information on climate change. Protecting the integrity of the public discourse is essential.
It’s disappointing to see climate misinformation continue to spread on social media, especially around important events like COP29. We need to do more to promote accurate, science-based information and hold platforms accountable for the content they allow to proliferate.
I agree. Fact-checking and media literacy are crucial in the fight against climate misinformation. We need to empower people to critically evaluate the information they encounter online and rely on trusted, reputable sources.
Concerning but not surprising to see climate misinformation spreading on social media. These platforms amplify fringe views and enable the rapid spread of false information. It’s critical that we rely on credible, science-based sources when it comes to the climate crisis.
I agree. The scientific consensus on human-caused climate change is overwhelming, despite the efforts of some to sow doubt. Social media platforms need to do more to combat the spread of misinformation.