G20 announces initiative to crackdown on climate change disinformation

The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change claims to ‘safeguard those reporting on climate issues’ but only those that go along with official narratives: perspective

The G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil concludes with the announcement of a global initiative to crackdown on so-called climate change disinformation.

Announced as a collaboration between the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Government of Brazil, the “Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change” is an attempt “to address disinformation campaigns that are delaying and derailing climate action.”

“The Initiative responds to the commitment in the Global Digital Compact, adopted by United Nations Members States at the Summit of the Future in September 2024, which encourages UN entities, in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders, to assess the impact of mis- and disinformation on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals”

G20 Leaders Summit, November 2024

The crackdown on climate change disinformation has three objectives:

• Establish and manage a Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change to fund in-depth research and strategic advocacy and diplomacy actions that contributes to exposing and dismantling climate-related disinformation
• Promote information integrity on climate change in the international institutional agenda and establish specific goals as well as common lines of action.
• Strengthen global information integrity and tackling misinformation by supporting public communications campaigns, civil society and scientific groups worldwide, and engaging key audiences and stakeholders

On the financial side, “The fund will seek to support the integration of international research collectives to address identified gaps and respond to the challenges posed by the increasing levels of disinformation to the full exercise of freedom of expression and other fundamental human rights, as well as to the implementation of evidence-based policies to address climate change.”

“We must fight the coordinated disinformation campaigns impeding global progress on climate change, ranging from outright denial to greenwashing to harassment of climate scientists. Through this Initiative, we will work with researchers and partners to strengthen action against climate disinformation”

Antonio Guterres, G20 Leaders Summit, November 2024

The global initiative ticks several commitment boxes from previous initiatives, including the UN’s “Global Principles for Information Integrity” and the “Global Digital Compact” that was part of the “Pact for the Future” that was signed at the Summit of the Future in September.

So far, six UN member states have joined the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change; they include Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, Sweden and the UK.

Speaking at the G20 press briefing on information integrity, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming said that information pollution was “flooding our feeds with conspiracies and lies.”

“We don’t just have a problem with pollution from emissions, we face an information pollution, too, which is flooding our feeds with conspiracies and lies”

Melissa Fleming, G20 Leaders Summit, November 2024

Fleming claimed that climate disinformation was “powered by special interests” and “deceptive advertising” who are looking “to obstruct the energy transition,” who are “seeking to deny scientific facts,” who are “eroding trust in climate science and solutions while harassing the very people who are trying to bring those facts.”

She also lamented that journalists, scientists, and climate activists were under attack for pushing UN-approved climate narratives.

“People are waking up to the harms that are caused by climate disinformation […] We’re living in toxic information ecosystems”

Melissa Fleming, G20 Leaders Summit, November 2024

Fleming would go on to say that climate disinformation was creating toxic information ecosystems, but that the Global Digital Compact was a very important document because of the section on information integrity.

The information integrity section is important because, according to Fleming, “It calls for an assessment of the impact on mis — and disinformation on the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“We are turbocharging our climate communications using the ‘Verified for Climate’ initiative […] With collaboration from our supporters, The Rockefeller Foundation, Fortescue, and TikTok […] Verified floods digital channels with science-based climate facts and resources, improving the integrity of information in spaces where climate disinformation most typically circulates“

Melissa Fleming, “Calling Time on Climate Disinformation,” January 2024

“Climate disinformation is increasingly spreading through social media, messaging apps, and generative AI […] It undermines scientific consensus, obstructs authorities’ ability to respond effectively to the crisis, and threatens the safety of journalists and environmental defenders working on the frontlines”

G20 Leaders Summit, November 2024

The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change is also enlisting a “global communications infrastructure” that was originally established to control COVID narratives called “Verified.”

Moving from COVID to climate, “Verified for Climate” claims that it “promotes positive, accurate climate information and challenges obstructive narratives to encourage swift energy transitions.“

The Verified for Climate landing page is full of UN-approved stories, such as “How to Discuss Climate Change with Family & Friends,” which teaches you how to run psychological operations on people who disagree with you.

Some examples include:

• You may share your concerns with a statement like, “I’m really scared about my future. I’m not sure I should have kids on a planet that may not be safe for them to inhabit, which is really sad and frightening. That’s why it’s so important to me that I do something.”
• You can also take a climate justice approach and relate climate change to social issues that your loved one cares about.
• If your loved one is a passionate advocate for anti-racism or the fight against poverty, educate them on how these groups are at a higher risk due to climate change.
• Use reputable resources that are science-based, peer-reviewed, and expert-backed. Some good sources for climate change facts include the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Environment Programme, NASA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Harvard College, ACT Climate Labs, and Climate Action Against Disinformation.
• Between now and the next time you talk, your friend or family member will hopefully take the time to reflect on their feelings about climate change. And, ideally, they’ll join you in the fight against it!

“We own the science, and we think that the world should know it, and the platforms themselves also do“

Melissa Fleming, WEF Sustainable Development Impact Meetings, september 2022

The UN has been engaging in these types of “Trusted Messenger” initiatives for several years.

For example, Fleming told the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2022 that UN had partnered with Google, so that the unelected globalists’ authoritative narratives would appear at the top of search results.

“We partnered with Google,” said Fleming, adding, “for example, if you Google ‘climate change,’ you will, at the top of your search, you will get all kinds of UN resources.

“We started this partnership when we were shocked to see that when we Googled ‘climate change,’ we were getting incredibly distorted information right at the top.

“We’re becoming much more proactive. We own the science, and we think that the world should know it, and the platforms themselves also do,” she added.

The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change claims to “safeguard those reporting on climate issues” while supporting “freedom of expression,” but only for those that go along with official narratives.

According to UNESCO, “The Initiative addresses the need for policies that protect information integrity, safeguard those reporting on climate issues, and support the development of informed global climate action.” 

However, if you report on climate issues that run contrary to UN-approved narratives, you are considered to be spreading disinformation and are therefore subjected to de-ranking and demonetization on big tech platforms that partner with the UN.

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Image Source: Melissa Fleming at a G20 press briefing, via G20 YouTube