For the first time in the history of global climate negotiations, information integrity has reached the official COP agenda. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil on Nov. 12, world leaders acknowledged that false and misleading information has become a direct threat to climate progress.

Despite overwhelming scientific consensus that human activities—especially the burning of fossil fuels—are driving global warming, misinformation and disinformation continue to distort understanding and delay action, according to the COP30 statement. These falsehoods take many forms: outright climate denial, delay narratives questioning the fairness or feasibility of policies, and greenwashing, where corporations exaggerate environmental claims to mask inaction.

The effects are corrosive. Climate disinformation not only slows policy progress but it erodes public trust, divides societies, and weakens democracy. As UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warned: “Without access to reliable information about climate disruption, we can never hope to overcome it.”

At COP30 on Nov. 12, 12 countries—including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Uruguay, and the Netherlands—signed the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change. The landmark document marks the first global commitment to confront climate disinformation and protect those defending evidence-based truth: scientists, journalists, and researchers.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva set the tone at the opening session, stressing the need to fight denialism: “We live in an era in which obscurantists reject scientific evidence and attack institutions. It is time to deliver yet another defeat to denialism.”

The declaration, launched under the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change—a partnership between Brazil, UNESCO, and the UN Department of Global Communications—calls for coordinated action “to dismantle networks of climate lies, strengthen independent media, and fund investigative research” especially in the Global South.

“Disinformation, driven by obscurantist worldviews, fuels political extremism and puts lives at risk,” warned Frederico Assis, COP30’s special envoy for information integrity. He noted that disinformation can “compromise every part of the COP process—negotiations, the action agenda, even mobilization.”

COP30 leaders have cited “algorithms amplifying conspiratorial content makes the problem harder to contain.” The COP30 initiative emphasizes collaboration among governments, civil society, and technology platforms to promote transparency and accountability.

The new Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched in June and backed by Brazil’s initial $1 million, has already received 447 project proposals from nearly 100 countries—two-thirds from developing nations.

The Declaration’s commitments include promoting accurate climate information in line with human rights and freedom of expression; supporting diverse media ecosystems; and protecting those who report on, or research climate issues. It also urges the private sector to adopt transparent advertising and communication practices that reinforce, not undermine, climate science.

But misinformation and disinformation are not the only threats to climate action. There is also apathy, especially the view that it’s too late to do anything about climate change. Fortunately, across social media and classrooms, young people, inspired by credible information, are leading “micro-revolutions” of awareness and sustainability.

The rise of disinformation should not be viewed as a side issue. Access to consistent, accurate, evidence-based information is essential for public trust and for the urgent policies needed to avert climate catastrophe.

By placing information integrity on the COP agenda, a vital step toward defending truth has been taken. The hope now is that this “wave of truth” will ripple far beyond Belém to empower societies to see clearly, act decisively, and build a sustainable and honest future.