Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In the halls of international climate talks, the battle is not only fought over emissions targets and finance pledges. A more insidious war is waged daily in newsrooms, on social media, and in public discourse. Its weapon is not carbon but confusion. Its aim is delay. Its masters? The sprawling coalition of fossil fuel interests, political opportunists, and digital platforms that thrive on lies more viral than truth.
Climate disinformation is not a glitch in the system—it is the system. Experts describe it as “organized lies,” meticulously crafted to obscure scientific reality, to weaken public trust, and to derail the urgent action needed to avert catastrophe. The problem is not new; oil companies were already downplaying their own research on global warming as early as the 1970s. But today, the sophistication of climate deception has evolved far beyond outright denial. It now cloaks itself in false solutions, pseudo-science, cultural warfare, and political populism.
The Ecosystem of Lies
At the core are the fossil fuel giants and their allies. They have rebranded gas as “clean energy,” invested billions in advertising campaigns, and pushed carbon capture schemes that remain largely theoretical. But their reach would be limited without the amplification of big tech platforms—Facebook, YouTube, Google—whose algorithms reward the most emotive and polarizing content. Lies travel faster than facts, and outrage drives clicks, ad revenue, and influence.
Joining the fray are PR firms, think tanks, and lobby groups. The Heartland Institute, for example, spent millions flooding social media with anti-climate ads. In Asia, Canon’s very own think tank—Canon Institute of Global Studies—allowed its research director to publicly smear climate activists, comparing Greta Thunberg to communists, before launching a YouTube channel to broadcast denial narratives.
And then come the political actors. From the far-right “Japan First” party to populist leaders in Southeast Asia, climate disinformation becomes a convenient tool: frame climate action as a liberal conspiracy, an attack on sovereignty, or a threat to jobs, and the votes follow.
The Philippines: A Battleground for Truth
Few countries embody this struggle as starkly as the Philippines. With its high social media penetration and weak regulation of digital platforms, disinformation spreads unchecked. Locally, it is branded simply as “fake news.”
Ross Flores Del Rosario, founder of Wazzup Pilipinas, recalls the difficulty:
“Almost every Filipino is on social media, especially Facebook. But there is no local jurisdiction over content. Even when misinformation is reported, neither the government nor Meta can act directly. That vacuum has made the Philippines a breeding ground for disinformation.”
It is not just about misleading memes. Climate delay narratives seep into governance itself. In Davao City, where political dynasties dominate, corruption probes into flood control projects are muddled by competing narratives. Citizens are told the problem is “upstairs” in Congress, or that solutions are futile because other countries pollute more. The result is paralysis—inaction that benefits entrenched interests while communities drown.
Disinformation in Asia: Different Masks, Same Goals
Across Asia, the faces of disinformation shift but the intent is constant.
Bangladesh politicians argue their nation is “too small to matter” in reducing emissions, conveniently sidestepping responsibility.
Indonesia touts its new capital city as a “green megaproject,” even as it accelerates deforestation and ecological disruption.
Japan aggressively promotes carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a silver bullet while right-wing parties gain traction with anti-science rhetoric.
Researchers in Indonesia mapped seven types of climate lies circulating online—ranging from cherry-picked data to greenwashed ads. One viral example used only eight years of temperature data to claim “global cooling,” deliberately ignoring over a century of warming evidence.
Why Lies Win
Climate lies succeed not because they are true but because they are powerful stories. They exploit values—fear of economic loss, resentment toward elites, pride in nationalism. They attack symbols of climate activism, especially vulnerable targets like young women activists, to delegitimize the entire movement.
And unlike truth, lies don’t need to be consistent. They only need to sow doubt.
One year, the narrative denies climate change outright. The next, it insists action is too costly. Later, it argues individual lifestyle changes are enough, or that new technology will fix everything, or that it’s already too late to act. This strategy is known as the “discourses of climate delay”—not outright denial, but enough hesitation to keep fossil fuel profits flowing.
The Cost of Fragmented Resistance
So far, the fight against climate disinformation has been fragmented. Fact-checkers debunk lies one by one, but as researchers warn: “When lies take root, it is almost impossible to pull them out.” Traditional media, weakened by financial struggles, often amplifies greenwashed ads instead of scrutinizing them. And in Asia, governments’ poor human rights records mean regulations against “disinformation” risk becoming tools for censorship rather than truth.
What Can Be Done?
Experts call for a shift from reactive debunking to proactive resistance:
Expose the actors and money trails. Journalists should investigate not just the narratives but the funding networks behind them—from fossil fuel lobbies to political beneficiaries.
Reclaim storytelling. Facts must be made as compelling as fiction. Climate communication should connect directly to people’s lived realities—rising food prices, stronger typhoons, displacement—not just distant scientific graphs.
Hold platforms accountable. Social media companies cannot continue profiting from climate lies without scrutiny. Transparency in algorithms and ad funding is non-negotiable.
Protect journalists and whistleblowers. In places like Indonesia and the Philippines, investigative reporters risk harassment or worse. International solidarity and local safety networks are vital.
Empower communities. Climate literacy must go hand-in-hand with civic empowerment. Disinformation thrives where people feel powerless; truth spreads where they feel agency.
The Urgency of Truth
The climate crisis is already here. Super typhoons devastate Philippine towns. Indonesian forests fall to bulldozers. Heatwaves scorch South Asia. Each delay narrative, each greenwashed ad, each smear against activists is not just misinformation—it is time stolen from the planet’s survival.
This is not just a war of science. It is a war of stories. And unless truth can be told with as much urgency and resonance as the lies, the world risks losing not only the climate fight but also the very foundation of trust in facts.
Because in the end, climate disinformation is not simply about the atmosphere—it is about democracy itself.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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