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COP30, Belém, Brazil – November 12, 2025
In a dramatic and unprecedented move, nations at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) have sealed a landmark agreement, marking the first time that information integrity has been formally prioritized on the global climate agenda. Against a backdrop of rising temperatures and escalating political tension, the launch of the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change signals a decisive offensive against the "obscurantists" and denialists who threaten global climate action.
The air in Belém was charged with urgency as the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change unveiled the Declaration, establishing a shared international commitment to combat climate disinformation, misinformation, and the systematic attacks against the scientists and journalists who report the truth.
"Climate change is no longer a threat of the future; it is a tragedy of the present," declared President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. "We live in an era in which obscurantists reject scientific evidence and attack institutions. It is time to deliver yet another defeat to denialism."
A Frontline Against Denialism
The Declaration, drafted in collaboration with civil society members of the Global Initiative Advisory Group, has been swiftly endorsed by ten founding countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Uruguay. Since the initial drafting, the Initiative has gained even more momentum, with Belgium, Canada, Finland, and Germany joining as new members, bringing the total number of signatory states to thirteen.
This expanded membership underscores a deepening international consensus: the threats to information integrity are not a secondary issue, but a "defining challenge of our time," actively undermining the foundations of public debate and society's capacity to forge collective climate solutions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who has long championed the cause, emphasized the stakes: "We must fight mis- and disinformation, online harassment, and greenwashing... Scientists and researchers should never fear telling the truth."
Mobilizing Society: Key Commitments
The core of the Declaration lies in its call to action across all sectors—governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia. It stresses that mobilizing every actor in society is impossible without access to consistent, reliable, and evidence-based information.
The most compelling commitments made by the signatories include:
Protecting Fundamental Rights: Promoting the integrity of climate information in line with international human rights law, including rigorous freedom of expression standards.
Empowering the Media: Supporting the sustainability of a diverse and resilient media ecosystem to ensure accurate and reliable coverage on climate and environmental issues.
Safeguarding Truth-Tellers: Fostering cooperation and capacity-building to protect those reporting on and researching climate issues, often "at great risk to themselves," as noted by UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay.
Global Access and Equity: Advancing equitable access to accurate, understandable information for all, especially through the UNFCCC's Action for Climate Empowerment agenda.
The Private Sector and The Global Fund
In a crucial appeal for financial and ethical responsibility, the Declaration directly urges the private sector to commit to information integrity in their business practices, demanding transparent, human-rights responsible advertising that bolsters reliable journalism and counters "greenwashing."
Furthermore, recognizing that resources are desperately short, the Declaration calls on governments to ensure sufficient funding for research, particularly in developing countries. The Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched in June 2025, is already a force for change.
With an initial seed funding of USD 1 million from the Government of Brazil, the Fund has been overwhelmed by the need, receiving 447 proposals from nearly 100 countries. Notably, nearly two-thirds of the eligible proposals originate from the Global South, highlighting the disproportionate impact of disinformation in vulnerable regions. The Fund has already begun supporting its first wave of vital projects across multiple continents.
The New Climate Consensus
The declaration at COP30 is more than a policy statement; it is an acknowledgment that the battle for the planet is also a battle for reality itself. By prioritizing the integrity of information, world leaders have declared that the manipulation of truth is as potent a threat to humanity’s future as greenhouse gas emissions.
The question now is whether the momentum generated in Belém can be sustained, translating ambitious commitments into effective, global counter-disinformation strategies before the rising tide of denialism and the rising sea levels make action too late.
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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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