What 2024 taught us about climate misinformation and what 2025 holds
The contours of climate misinformation in 2024 and what comes next in 2025
ACT’s critical misinformation monitoring work in 2024
All through 2024, ACT Climate Labs has been monitoring climate mis- and disinformation across the UK. We’ve tracked the nature, scale and frequency of climate misinformation narratives in digital spaces and in real life. We’ve identified threats to persuadable communities and supported the wider climate movement overcome these.
This came at a critical time for the UK. The general election and its run-up, and the new Government’s arrival, with its high climate ambitions.
We’ve seen a rise of mis and disinformation across the year with a particular focus in the run up to the election. Whilst thankfully much of this wasn’t picked up by the majority of Persuadables it’s created an increasing tide of anti-climate action myths and mistruths that pose an increasing threat.
As 2024 ends, proactively inoculating against mis- and disinformation, both in the UK and abroad like the US, becomes increasingly urgent. Especially as climate denial networks gain power in political positions, as a Conservative leader funded by sceptics like Net Zero Watch, or the incoming Trump administration.
Our research underlines why we need to continue assessing threats and intervene. We need to make sure factually inaccurate information and mistruths about what the rapid climate transition will bring, doesn’t sway Persuadables.
This final instalment of Beyond The Ballot highlights our key findings and emerging themes we must continue to address in 2025 and beyond. Join us next week on December 11th for a look back on the past 15 months in 15 minutes of climate in the news with Climate Barometer, to celebrate the launch of the new report Signal in the Noise.
The contours of UK climate misinformation in 2024
2024 saw a rising tide of misinformation around UK climate policy. Overarching goals like net zero and broader climate action came under scrutiny.
Despite climate not dominating voters’ issues in the general election, we detected many emerging threats. These threats, in the guise of misleading narratives, have become more sophisticated and sometimes, more subtle. Often, anti-net zero sentiment and opposition to climate progress are wrapped up in everyday issues like cars and transport, housing, heat pumps or food.
These developments have impacted ACT’s Persuadables Groups differently, depending on their local areas. Take for instance, ACT’s Urban Somewhere Persuadable Group in Aberdeen. They may rely on oil and gas or traditional manufacturing jobs in the area and will be exposed to narratives on energy transition and North Sea related issues. On the other hand, ACT’s Rural Dweller Persuadable Group will routinely encounter false claims about renewable energy’s impact on agricultural land.
Extreme weather events such as the floods in Valencia, hurricanes in the US and storms in the UK cost lives and destroy infrastructure. They also show the dangers of misinformation in stunting climate progress. The swirl of misinformation around them, continues to block citizens from making the connection between these events and the climate crisis.
So, how do we inoculate and communicate against these false narratives? What insights did our misinformation monitoring reveal that will help us get ahead in 2025?
