Political & Economic Interests Behind Climate Disinformation | Conversation with Jennie King at ISD.

DevelopmentAid Dialogues

Guest Description: Jennie King, Director of Climate Disinformation Research and Policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).

Ms. King provided crucial insights into the dynamics of climate disinformation and the larger online information ecology. She stressed that “climate disinformation is being deployed strategically to undermine urgent environmental action,” and that misinformation campaigns frequently exploit legitimate worries about energy security and food supply to stymie climate efforts. This tactic, she explained, is intended to cause confusion and delay decisive policy decisions.

Ms. King also highlighted ISD’s comprehensive research, which tracks both overt and covert disinformation campaigns on major digital platforms. For example, she pointed to a study conducted by ISD and the Conscious Advertising Network, which revealed that mainstream advertisers often unknowingly fund websites that propagate false climate narratives.

“It’s a systemic issue where advertisers may not realize that their dollars are supporting disinformation,” she explained.

A substantial chunk of the conversation focused on the urgent need for regulation. Ms. King called for strong legislative frameworks, such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which requires corporations to examine and minimize the risks connected with their online platforms.

“Regulation is essential to create the enabling environment for better scrutiny and accountability of the private sector,” she asserted.

According to Ms. King, this regulatory strategy will encourage a more transparent digital world by limiting harmful content and rewarding platforms to promote meaningful conversation rather than controversy.

The podcast also touched on the role of social media in climate debates, with Ms. King outlining how algorithms “create perverse incentives that are built around outrage and division” rather than encouraging informed, evidence-based discussions. As a response, she argued for the demonetization of deceptive content, claiming that “once you remove that profit motive, many actors will leave this space.”

In her closing remarks, Ms. King struck a hopeful tone, encouraging listeners to remain engaged in the fight against climate disinformation. She emphasized the progress made in just a few years, with climate disinformation now firmly on the agendas of governments, multilateral bodies, and environmental organizations.

“This is a solvable issue.”

“This is a solvable issue,” she affirmed, reminding the audience that momentum is building towards meaningful action that could reshape the online information space in favor of climate solutions.

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