A new report released by the Forum on Information and Democracy (FID), an international organization providing democratic safeguards to the global space of information and communication, has called on governments around the world to take urgent steps to safeguard information integrity as a key component of climate and environmental governance.
The report, produced under its Workstream on Information Integrity on Climate Change and the Environment and led by the governments of Brazil and Armenia, highlights the growing threat of climate disinformation and outlines concrete policy reforms, including digital advertising regulation, stronger protection for environmental journalists, and improved accountability within information ecosystems.
The report comes after a year-long process that brought together nearly 100 policymakers, researchers, and civil society experts from 30 countries. Meetings were held between February and December 2025, including an in-person session in Yerevan, Armenia, and a presentation of initial findings at COP30 in Belém.
Through this collaborative effort, participants developed practical measures aimed at tackling disinformation, promoting transparency, and ensuring citizens have access to reliable information on climate and environmental issues.
The report highlights that climate and environmental disinformation is increasingly shaping public perception, making it harder for citizens to distinguish fact from falsehood. Environmental journalists investigating these issues face growing threats and harassment, while restricted access to data limits informed debate. To address this, the report calls for a comprehensive approach, including protecting journalists, reforming digital advertising that drives disinformation, and holding online platforms accountable for the content they host.
It also emphasises the need to strengthen networks of actors working on information integrity, including expanding research, building institutional capacity, and improving multilateral coordination. By embedding reliable information directly into climate and environmental governance, the report argues, governments can ensure that policies are evidence-based and that citizens are better equipped to participate in decision-making. These measures, it notes, are essential for effective climate action and democratic accountability.
Looking ahead, the workstream’s recommendations will feed into upcoming international conferences, including COP17 on Biodiversity in Armenia and COP31 on Climate Change in Turkey. Early results are already being seen in countries such as Armenia, Brazil, Belgium, and France, where governments are beginning to translate the report’s guidance into concrete national policies. The Forum on Information and Democracy plans to publish a follow-up report in 2026 to track progress and further support governments in tackling climate disinformation.
The report sets out clear recommendations for governments, including embedding information integrity into climate and environmental governance, reforming digital advertising to curb the spread of disinformation, and enhancing transparency to counter greenwashing. It also calls for the protection of environmental journalists and defenders, strengthening platform accountability, promoting high-quality environmental journalism, improving science communication, and advancing media and environmental literacy.
Together, these steps aim to ensure that citizens have access to reliable information and that climate action is guided by evidence rather than falsehoods.
