Big Tech enables climate disinformation, report finds

Big Tech platforms are enabling the spread of climate disinformation on a massive scale, according to a new report by Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD).

Released ahead of COP29, the report reveals how platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and X, amplify misleading narratives that deny climate science and undermine renewable energy.

“It is virtually certain that 2024 will be the hottest year on record, and extreme weather has again wreaked havoc around the world,” Kate Cell, a Union of Concerned Scientists member, explained.

“As this report shows, the fossil fuel industry and its political allies are wielding climate disinformation to maintain their profits and lock the world’s people into an increasingly dangerous future,” she said.

Climate denial goes viral

CAAD’s report, titled “Extreme Weather, Extreme Content: How Big Tech Enables Climate Disinformation,” identifies multiple myths shared across social media.

These narratives are often driven by accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers, including influencers and political figures, with some posts amassing millions of views.

The report highlights frequently used tactics, such as using short videos of isolated incidents to question the reliability of wind turbines and solar panels.

Another common theme is “wokewashing,” where climate-sceptic accounts use environmental or human rights concerns to discredit renewables, particularly electric vehicles (EVs).

Conspiracies and Greenwashing

The report’s first case study focuses on disinformation targeting renewables, which has become more organised and consistent.

Misinformation surrounding wind, solar, and EVs claims these technologies are too costly, unreliable, and environmentally harmful. Conspiracy theories like the so-called “Climate Lockdown” falsely depict renewable policies as a form of social control.

Another case study examines how extreme weather events, particularly wildfires, are misrepresented.

In 2023 and 2024, posts on X, YouTube, and TikTok falsely claimed that wildfires in Greece, Canada, and the Amazon were intentionally started, using fringe theories about “Direct Energy Weapons” or elite plots to seize land.

Big Tech profits from fossil fuel ad spend

The final case study in CAAD’s report explores fossil fuel advertising on social media.

Between October 2023 and October 2024, fossil fuel companies and industry groups spent an estimated $17.6 million on Meta’s platforms, generating 700 million impressions.

CAAD claims that many of these adverts “greenwash” fossil fuel industries, portraying them as essential for a low-carbon future.

These ads often fall outside the “Social Issues, Elections, or Politics” category, meaning they may escape the scrutiny applied to political ads.

In some cases, CAAD found that fossil fuel companies promoted carbon capture, natural gas, and other technologies as clean energy solutions despite experts’ doubts about their effectiveness.

Can technology help tackle greenwashing?

Super-spreader accounts drive viral narratives

The role of “super-spreader” accounts is another key finding in the report. High-profile influencers and commentators with large followings drive many of the most viewed and shared anti-climate posts.

Some of the most active accounts include political commentator Peter Sweden and Reform UK MP Richard Tice, whose posts criticising renewables have garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

Accounts like these often link renewables to cost-of-living issues and portray environmental policies as elitist.

According to CAAD, some accounts strategically recycle content, resharing similar narratives to ensure misinformation remains visible in online discourse.

Posts often use sensational claims, such as framing wind turbines as “dangerous” to wildlife, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

Lack of accountability fuels the spread of climate lies

CAAD’s findings raise urgent questions about Big Tech’s role in spreading harmful narratives. While some platforms have implemented content moderation practices, the report finds these measures inadequate for tackling the scale of disinformation.

The report also links disinformation with real-world violence. False claims, like the conspiracy theories surrounding wildfires in Canada and the US, have incited threats against emergency responders and stoked fears of government conspiracies.

This atmosphere of distrust complicates disaster response, reduces public cooperation, and distracts from the real drivers of extreme weather events.

As world leaders prepare for COP28, CAAD’s report suggests if platforms don’t limit the spread of climate disinformation, efforts to combat the climate crisis will remain undermined.

“For the third year running, CAAD has documented millions of dollars of fossil fuel advertising around COP,” said CAAD Intelligence Unit Coordinator Sean Buchan.

“While the world meets to try to keep the Paris Agreement promise, the fossil fuel industry pollutes the information ecosystem to cloud our minds. A fossil fuel ad ban is imperative to protect public health and accelerate climate action.”