What happens when over half the population cannot distinguish between factual climate information and falsehood? Climate action slows, evidence-based policies are undermined, and the needed collective response to the crisis fails to materialize.

This was the central theme at the recently held Climate Disinformation webinar by Penplusbytes, where stakeholders identified climate disinformation as a fundamental threat to climate progress. The discussion was anchored by data indicating that over 50% of Ghanaians are not aware of climate change. Those who do also struggle to tell whether the climate information they come across is true or not.

According to Emmanuel Koranteng Asomani, Project Manager for Penplusbytes’ Climate and Wellbeing thematic area, this is not just a communication gap but deliberate attempts by individuals, groups, and organisations to deny and downplay the reality of climate change and its impact. He stated that, “What we are seeing in the media is a calculated attempt by bad actors to deny and delay climate action, and this is very worrying because climate mis/disinformation can exacerbate existing tensions and undermine local peacebuilding efforts.”

The Ghanaian Context

Sarfoh Danquah, a Youth Adaptation Trainer with the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), who was a speaker on the webinar, provided crucial context for why false narratives thrive, particularly in Ghanaian communities. He explained that pre-existing survival challenges often create vulnerability. “When communities are preoccupied with immediate survival needs like food, shelter, and security, verifying climate information becomes a secondary concern. This gap is exploited.” However, he presented a clear strategy for combatting climate disinformation, adding that, “false narratives can be countered by stronger narratives. If bad actors push misleading stories, we must push back with compelling, truthful ones that are rooted in evidence and inspire hope.”

Reclaiming the Narrative: The Power of Words and Truth

Adding her voice, Giuseppina Granata, a Communication Strategist with Landfills2Landmarks, emphasized that combating climate mis/disinformation begins with intentional storytelling. She argued for a fundamental shift in terminology to match the urgency of the situation. “We must move from talking about ‘climate change’ to calling it ‘climate crisis’. Words are not neutral. The right language wakes people up to reality and inspires urgent action,” she stated.

Practical Tools to Combat Climate Mis/Disinformation

Experts called for young people to leverage their agency to seek truth, question sources, and build a collective voice strong enough to combat climate disinformation. They advocated for digital, media and information literacy and critical thinking as non-negotiable skills for the modern climate advocate, recommending tools like Hivemoderation (a free AI-generated content detection tool ) and other fact-checking tools like TinEye, DupliChecker, and Labnol.

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