The 2025 Synthesis Report on Information Integrity about Climate Science, produced by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE), explores how disinformation and misinformation undermine public understanding and policy responses to climate change. Based on a systematic review of 300 studies from 2015 to 2025, the report concludes that powerful actors, including fossil fuel companies, political leaders, media outlets, and organized lobbies intentionally distort scientific consensus through denial, skepticism, greenwashing, and conspiracy theories. These misleading narratives spread across both traditional and digital platforms, contributing to a global erosion of trust in science, delays in climate action, and political polarization. The report also identifies an alarming gap in research on information integrity in the Global South, where climate impacts are severe but underreported.
The report calls for urgent actions to counteract this crisis. Effective strategies include:
legislation for standardized carbon reporting
legal enforcement mechanisms, multi-stakeholder coalitions
public education initiatives
The report emphasizes that restoring trust and accuracy in climate communication is crucial for meeting international climate targets and protecting future generations. Finally, it stresses the need for increased research in underrepresented regions and for more equitable global communication infrastructures to ensure information integrity worldwide.
