WMO Joins Global Initiative to Combat Climate Misinformation

Oru Leonard 

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has joined forces with the United Nations and UNESCO to launch the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change. This landmark initiative aims to combat misinformation and disinformation about climate change, which has become a major obstacle to effective climate action.

The initiative was unveiled by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The WMO’s participation in this initiative demonstrates its commitment to promoting accurate and reliable information about climate change.

The Global Initiative for Information Integrity seeks to enhance cooperation among governments, international organizations, technology platforms, and civil society to protect the integrity of information in the public sphere. This is crucial in ensuring that decisions on climate action are based on science-based data.

Key Objectives of the Initiative:

– Combat Climate Disinformation: Counter misinformation and disinformation about climate change that hinder effective climate action.
– Promote Information Integrity: Enhance cooperation among stakeholders to protect the integrity of information in the public sphere.
– Support Climate Action: Ensure that decisions on climate action are based on accurate, reliable, and science-based data.

The initiative has already gained support from several countries, including Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The WMO’s participation in this initiative is a significant step towards promoting accurate and reliable information about climate change.