As part of COP30 — held from Nov. 10 to 21, 2025, in the Amazonian city of Belem, Brazil — 12 countries signed a declaration described as “historic” by the United Nations, aimed at strengthening informational integrity in climate matters.
This initiative, known as the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, marks the first time that issues of disinformation and “climate truth” have been explicitly included on the agenda of an international climate summit.
In a world where the effects of global warming are increasingly evident — from extreme storms to intensified heat waves — the ground has become fertile for questioning science and facts.
In that context, the declaration adopted in Belem calls for a joint response to the growing wave of distortions, manipulations, and silences that threaten climate action, and it does so at a time when denialist discourse — led by figures such as Donald Trump — appears to be finding new amplifiers.
Commitment to combat climate disinformation at COP30
The Declaration was officially launched on Wednesday, Nov. 12, during COP30, by the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, an alliance led by Brazil, UNESCO, and the United Nations. The signatory states pledged to promote “consistent, reliable, accurate, and evidence-based information” on climate change, as well as to protect journalists, scientists, and researchers operating in an increasingly hostile environment.
Among the commitments are fostering “the resilience of media ecosystems, supporting international cooperation to counter ‘greenwashing,’ and ensuring that the right to information and freedom of expression operate without obstacles in the climate space.”
At the time of publication, 12 countries were reported to have signed the declaration: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Surprisingly, Colombia is not among them, despite being aligned with the positions of the signatory nations.
Despite the repeated failures of global climate summits, the choice of Belem as this year’s venue was not accidental: The Amazon region symbolizes both the global climate emergency and the vulnerability of the ecosystems and communities on the frontlines of change. In that tropical setting, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was forceful in his remarks.
“We live in an era when obscurantists reject scientific evidence and attack institutions. It is time to deliver another defeat to denialism,” he stated.
The return of denialism in critical times
Climate denialist rhetoric has seen a notable resurgence in recent years, largely tied to the return of Donald Trump and the rise of political movements that question the urgency or even the reality of climate change. Within this framework, social media, recommendation algorithms, and information platforms have become battlegrounds where not only data but also narratives and emotions collide.
This phenomenon is particularly serious because it undermines the very foundation of scientific consensus and, therefore, the collective capacity to shape robust public policy. As summarized in a recent report cited by the United Nations, “the lack of trust in information is a deeply concerning trend. … Climate change has become a weapon that polarizes entire societies.”
At COP30, the signatories of the declaration acknowledged that disinformation is not a marginal phenomenon but a strategic barrier to climate action. At a time when the window to prevent irreversible damage is closing, the integrity of public debate emerges as a requirement as vital as emissions reduction or climate adaptation.
“There is broad recognition that disinformation can affect and compromise every part of the COP process — whether diplomatic negotiations, the action agenda, or mobilization and summits. All our efforts will be at risk if we do not adequately address the disinformation stemming from denialism,” said Frederico Assis, COP30’s special envoy for information integrity.
Assis expressed concern about algorithms that amplify “conspiratorial and manipulative content,” often using “sophisticated tactics to spread false messages.”
Why isn’t Colombia part of this COP30 agreement?
One of the most striking elements at the close of the declaration’s signing was the absence of certain Latin American countries, among them Colombia. That omission is significant, as the South American nation is one of the region’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change — including extreme weather events, forced displacement due to flooding, and damage to the agricultural sector.
Although no official statement has been issued to explain the situation, sources close to Colombia’s Ministry of Environment do not rule out that the country may later join the initiative, given the alignment shown by the Colombian government with the agreement and its critical stance toward denialist discourse.
In fact, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who took part in the public event held before the opening of the summit, was highly critical of the absence of U.S. President Donald Trump, who champions climate change denialist positions despite leading the most polluting country on the planet.
Petro defended — as he has done in various international forums since becoming president in 2022 — the need to act urgently on key issues such as the energy transition, in order to reverse global warming and ensure life on the planet.
Combating disinformation: toward a new phase of climate multilateralism
This declaration marks a turning point in the architecture of international climate governance. Until now, major agreements had focused on emission figures, financing, technology, and adaptation. Now, for the first time, the battle over information is explicitly incorporated as a key piece of the puzzle.
Much of the obstacles to climate progress are not only technical or financial, but informational. The proliferation of falsehoods, distrust in science, harassment of researchers, and the power of certain interests today seem to hinder progress as much as the lack of resources. As the U.N. secretary-general warned: “Without access to reliable information about climate disruption, we can never hope to overcome it.”
Furthermore, since this is a relatively symbolic pact, the real challenge begins now: Moving from signing to action. Implementing robust verification systems, allocating resources to strengthen independent media, confronting greenwashing — the misleading advertising surrounding what is labeled as “green” — and building bridges between scientific communities, the media, and the public will be decisive steps.
At the end of the day, the executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change emphasized that truthful information is now becoming a pillar of global climate action, and precisely for that reason, the declaration not only broadens the scope of the Paris Agreement but also redefines the concept of adaptation: protecting the digital public space from manipulation.