The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is proud to announce its participation in the newly launched Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, unveiled yesterday by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This landmark initiative, co-led by the United Nations and UNESCO, aims to strengthen global efforts to address misinformation and disinformation, particularly in critical areas like climate change.
With disinformation about climate science, policies, and impacts spreading rapidly, the Global Initiative for Information Integrity seeks to enhance cooperation among governments, international organizations, technology platforms, and civil society. The goal is to protect the integrity of information in the public sphere, ensuring that decisions on climate action are based on accurate, reliable, and science-based data.
WMO, as the leading authority on weather, climate, and water, will contribute its expertise to this initiative by promoting the dissemination of scientifically rigorous information and countering false narratives about climate change. WMO will work closely with global partners to develop tools and strategies to enhance public understanding of climate science, strengthen early warning systems, and empower communities to make informed decisions.
Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General, emphasizes the importance of fighting disinformation in the fight against climate change.
"The spread of climate disinformation undermines global efforts to protect the planet and adapt to its changing climate. WMO is committed to ensuring that everyone-governments, businesses, and individuals-has access to accurate, science-based information. In this age of disinformation, stating the facts is not only a moral imperative but a critical tool for survival."
WMO's participation in the Global Initiative aligns with its ongoing commitment to the Early Warnings for All Initiative, a UN-backed effort to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems by 2027. By integrating its scientific expertise with the objectives of the Global Initiative, WMO aims to help foster an informed, resilient, and climate-ready global society.
Among those joining the Initiative are UN Member States (Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, Sweden and the United Kingdom have confirmed participation), UN entities (UN Climate Change, WMO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and civil society representatives.
The Initiative draws on the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity as an important framework for action. The Principles envision an information ecosystem that delivers choice, freedom, privacy and safety for all, in which people everywhere can express themselves freely and make informed and independent decisions. They put forward proposals to empower people all over the world by handing them greater control over the media they choose to consume, their own online experiences, and how their personal data is used. The principles offer support to all those working to share facts in the public interest, as well as the vulnerable or marginalized voices that so often bear the brunt of targeted disinformation and hate campaigns.
The launch of this initiative marks a significant milestone in addressing the twin challenges of the climate crisis and the "infodemic" of disinformation. WMO stands ready to collaborate with its partners in advancing the integrity of information for a sustainable and secure future.
