Spain launches program to counter climate disinformation
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In Spain, Vice President Sara Aagesen announced a 3.5 million euro program to fight climate disinformation and support research into climate change.
The initiative will fund research projects and establish a Verification Support Unit to aid fact-checking organizations. Aagesen stated the government recognizes the importance of combating false information that undermines efforts to address the climate crisis, noting a surge in attacks on climate science and green agendas.
The program responds to a growing trend of climate change denial and skepticism, fueled by misinformation, political polarization, and the spread of false news. These factors have led some people to distrust climate science despite increasing evidence of global warming’s effects, such as more intense heat waves and severe storms. Spain intends to strengthen scientific literacy and critical thinking skills among its citizens to help them identify reliable information.
The Biodiversity Foundation will manage the research grants, which are open to public universities and research institutions. Additionally, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge will collaborate with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities to create an Office to support scientific personnel, providing them with protection from attacks by climate change deniers. Spain hopes this approach will restore trust in scientific research and enable more effective climate action.
