The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has reinforced its commitment to combating climate disinformation by actively supporting an initiative dedicated to ensuring information integrity ahead of COP30. With misinformation and disinformation emerging as a significant global risk, the need for accurate, scientifically validated climate data has never been more critical. Assistant Secretary-General Thomas Asare represented WMO in shaping the initiative’s direction as part of the Scientific Advisory Group, ensuring that discussions on climate action are grounded in reliable and authoritative data.
Climate misinformation has increasingly become a barrier to informed policy-making and public understanding, with only a small fraction of disinformation research focusing on climate issues. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report highlights misinformation and disinformation as a top-tier global challenge, yet climate-related disinformation remains underfunded and under-researched. The initiative, bolstered by WMO’s expertise, seeks to bridge these gaps by integrating more robust scientific contributions into global climate discourse. This effort will be particularly significant as COP30 approaches, with international stakeholders relying on trusted information to make informed decisions on climate policies and mitigation strategies.
WMO’s role in this initiative is multi-faceted, primarily centered on providing scientific rigor and reliable data. As a key contributor to the Scientific Advisory Group, WMO ensures that the initiative remains anchored in verifiable Earth system data. The organization leverages its extensive global network of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to supply regionally relevant climate information, addressing disparities in climate data accessibility and reliability. Additionally, WMO plays a critical role in validating research and promoting transparency in climate communication, a vital step toward countering the spread of misleading narratives.
The Global Fund for Climate Information Integrity, managed by UNESCO, will be instrumental in implementing the initiative’s objectives. The fund’s allocation strategy prioritizes research, response strategies, and UN-led communication efforts, ensuring a comprehensive approach to tackling climate misinformation. Specifically, 45% of the fund will be dedicated to research initiatives aimed at improving climate information integrity, 30% will be allocated to developing response strategies, and 25% will support UN communication efforts to disseminate accurate climate-related information. Oversight of the fund will be managed by a Steering Committee co-chaired by Brazil and the UN, with WMO contributing its technical expertise through the Scientific Advisory Group.
As COP30 approaches, the importance of credible, data-driven climate information cannot be overstated. Misinformation threatens to derail progress on global climate action by sowing doubt, undermining scientific consensus, and delaying policy implementation. By actively participating in this initiative, WMO reaffirms its role as a global leader in climate science and information integrity. The organization’s contributions will help ensure that climate discourse at COP30 is informed by facts rather than falsehoods, ultimately supporting more effective and impactful climate policies on a global scale.
