The environmental sector has an active opposition. An opposition which harnesses the power of delay, denial and greenwashing to prevent progress. One of the key weapons in their arsenal is disinformation – the spread of deceptive and false narratives that undermine constructive discussions about our environment. With the support of CAAD, we put together this event to take stock of this challenge. Our speakers included:
- Harriett Kingaby, Co-Founder, ACT Climate Labs, & Co-Chair, Conscious Advertising Network
- Sean Buchan, Intelligence Coordinator, CAAD
- Tom Brookes, CEO, The Meliore Foundation
During this event, we explored the complex issue of mis/disinformation. With opening context provided by EFN’s Tara, the discussion acknowledged the multifaceted nature of the problem, emphasizing that this event was just the beginning of a broader conversation. Our speakers shared their insights into the scale and scope of mis/disinformation and highlighted the role funders can play in addressing it. They also reflected on their personal journeys into this field, each starting in different sectors but encountering the pervasive impact of mis/disinformation and feeling the need to work on it.
We heard about the unprecedented reach and influence of social media as a distribution channel for disinformation, highlighting the urgent need to tackle the “disinformation economy,” which thrives on divisive content to drive engagement and therefore profit. The event also addressed the term “fake news” and why some in the field choose to not use it.
We explored practical solutions for strengthening positive actors and weakening harmful ones, and heard case studies of solutions in progress like Google creating a policy to not monetise climate mis/disinformation. A step in the right direction, but one that requires further momentum and accountability. Throughout the event, it became clear that while some progress like this has been made, much more needs to be done. We discussed how funders can play a role in this work by supporting interventions at various points to disrupt and fracture the mis/disinformation machine.