Health organizations warn that misleading narratives can undermine emergency responses.
GENEVA
Climate disinformation is emerging as a public health concern as medical and civil society organizations urge the World Health Organization’s 194 member states to strengthen protections against misleading information. A new report warns that distorted climate narratives can undermine emergency warnings, discourage people from seeking assistance and delay measures intended to reduce environmental health risks.
The report, Protecting Health in the Age of Climate Disinformation, was prepared by the WHO Civil Society Working Group on Climate and Health. Released on October 26, it calls for information integrity to become part of public health preparedness rather than remain exclusively a matter of political communication.
The distinction between misinformation and disinformation is central to the findings. Misinformation involves false or misleading claims circulated without necessarily intending deception. Disinformation refers to the deliberate spread of such material, potentially serving commercial, ideological or geopolitical objectives.
Both can influence behavior during emergencies.
Following the devastating Maui wildfires in 2023, false online claims suggested that residents seeking federal disaster assistance could lose ownership of their property. Although fact-checkers rejected the allegations, researchers warn that similar rumors can discourage vulnerable households from requesting essential support.
The consequences extend beyond emergency response. In London, debates over the Ultra Low Emission Zone have combined legitimate concerns about affordability with misleading claims about air pollution and government intervention.
The report argues that distorted information can redirect attention away from evaluating whether environmental measures protect health and how their financial burdens should be distributed.
Researchers also identify fossil fuel greenwashing and conflicts of interest as concerns. Organizations may promote misleading environmental narratives to defend economic interests or delay regulatory decisions.
Dr. Jeni Miller, executive director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, has urged governments to integrate information-risk management into preparations for heatwaves, floods, wildfires and infectious disease emergencies.
She also warned that climate disinformation can function as a hybrid instrument of conflict, exploiting public distrust and institutional vulnerabilities.
That characterization identifies a potential mechanism of manipulation; it does not establish that every misleading climate claim originates from a coordinated foreign operation.
The European Commission has introduced its ClimateFactsMatter campaign to help people examine sources, identify emotionally manipulative messages and question unsupported promises of simple solutions.
However, strengthening information integrity also requires transparency. Legitimate disagreement over policy costs, implementation and effectiveness must remain distinct from deliberately fabricated evidence.
The report’s recommendations have not yet become binding WHO policy. Their significance lies in encouraging health authorities to treat reliable information as part of the infrastructure needed to protect communities.
As climate-related hazards intensify, the credibility of warnings may influence whether people evacuate, seek medical attention or receive assistance.
Protecting public health increasingly requires protecting the information on which public decisions depend.
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