COP30 formally recognised information integrity as a critical element of climate governance
Among the outcomes of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) held in Belém, Brazil, from 10–21 November 2025, negotiators formally elevated the issue of information integrity within international climate governance for the first time
The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change launched a Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change during COP30 on 12 November 2025. The declaration establishes international commitments to address climate disinformation and promote accurate, evidence‑based information related to climate change, marking the first time that climate conferences have prioritised this issue within core negotiations.
The Declaration on Information Integrity was drafted with input from civil society members of the Global Initiative’s advisory group and, at launch, was endorsed by a group of countries including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay.
Signatories commit to:
- Promoting the integrity of information related to climate change in accordance with international human rights standards and freedom of expression.
- Supporting a diverse and resilient media ecosystem with accurate coverage of climate and environmental issues.
- Enhancing cooperation to address threats to information integrity and safeguard those reporting on climate research.
- Expanding equitable access to reliable, evidence‑based climate information.
- Encouraging funders to support projects that strengthen the integrity of climate information globally.
The declaration also calls on governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and funders to take action against misinformation, disinformation, denialism and deliberate attacks on scientists and environmental journalists that undermine climate policy and public understanding.
COP30’s Mutirão Decision, the formal set of outcomes adopted at the summit, also recognised information integrity as essential for effective climate action. This represents the first time “information integrity” has been embedded into the negotiated texts that form part of official UN climate governance, according to the UN.
This broader inclusion reflects growing concerns among policymakers that misleading information about climate science, impacts, and policy options can hinder public understanding and slow collective responses to climate change.
COP30 delivered a range of decisions across finance, adaptation, implementation and governance. World leaders agreed on measures to scale up climate finance, including tripling adaptation funding by 2035, and on initiatives intended to accelerate implementation of national climate plans. However, negotiators stopped short of agreeing on a formal roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, a point noted in reporting on the summit’s outcomes.
As part of the broader summit context, addressing information integrity was characterised by some observers as a response to what they see as an increasing prevalence of climate misinformation, including during peak moments of COP negotiation cycles.
The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change was launched in 2024 by Brazil in partnership with the United Nations and UNESCO to strengthen international collaboration to counter climate disinformation and support accurate climate communication. COP30 marked the initiative’s first significant summit, during which multiple countries adopted formal commitments.
By formalising commitments to promote reliable climate information and counter disinformation, the Belém declaration and its inclusion in COP30 governance outcomes expand the climate agenda beyond traditional areas such as emissions reductions, adaptation and finance, to include the informational environment underpinning public and policy debates.
