Climate Disinformation

ISD identifies, monitors and analyses online information operations targeting the climate policy agenda.

For nearly fifteen years, ISD has been at the forefront of analysing and trialling innovative solutions to the rising tide of extremism, hate, populism and polarisation. ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit has developed advanced tools and methodologies to monitor and expose the dark influence operations of a range of state and non-state actors seeking to sow division and undermine democratic processes. 

Our research has shown how the forces of disinformation and division are organising and aligning in an unprecedented manner around the world. We are seeing intensive international coordination in order to mainstream extreme positions and undermine, distort and co-opt public opinion.

Most global efforts to research and tackle disinformation at scale tend to focus on safeguarding elections from foreign state interference. Yet we know that efforts to address some of the most pressing transnational challenges of our time – climate change, migration, human rights, and sexual and reproductive health – have come under consistent attack by bad actors. These threats encompass government-sponsored entities, organised hate and extremist groups and corporate lobbies, in an attempt to influence both public opinion and shape policy agendas at the domestic or multilateral level. If left unchecked, manipulation of the information space poses a systemic threat to democratic dialogue and may well derail the action so urgently needed in these issue areas.

To combat malign influence campaigns, disinformation and broader anti-climate efforts, the sector requires in-depth and ongoing data from the digital space, which to date has been sorely lacking.  In collaboration with our technology partners CASM, LSE Arena, and a range of climate partners including the European Climate Foundation, Greenpeace UnEarthed and DeSmog, ISD is developing cutting-edge tools tailored to audiences across the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, the UK and the United States.

The objective of this work is to:

  • Build a system for data collection and analysis which can support key stakeholders in their advocacy, public education, policymaking and strategic communications around climate
  • Provide live trend analysis on anti-climate narratives and influencer networks, particularly in the run-up to key events (e.g. COP26, national elections)
  • Develop and drive execution of strategies to expose, disrupt and mitigate coordinated influence campaigns around climate.

Latest Climate Disinformation posts from Digital Dispatches:

In Hungary, government-affiliated media is critical in shaping public opinion. This dispatch looks at how national and local government-affiliated media outlets on Facebook have portrayed the issue of climate change over the past two years.
In Poland, climate change is largely absent from the online discussion around coal mining and the energy sector, which is instead dominated by economic and security arguments in favour of, and in opposition to, the coal industry. This dispatch highlights the key trends in such discussion, as well as the types of messaging different actors employ.
The far right has stoked up fear of immigration, elites, and multiculturalism. Now, extremists are turning their attention online to the alleged threat of the green agenda – with an eye to discrediting COP-26.

ISD’s Climate Disinformation team

Sasha Havlicek
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Sasha Havlicek

Co-Founder and CEO

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Sasha Havlicek
Sasha Havlicek

Co-Founder and CEO

Sasha Havlicek is Co-Founder and CEO of ISD, having spearheaded ISD’s pioneering research and data analysis, digital education, policy advisory, training, tech and communications programmes. With a background in conflict resolution and an expertise in extremism, digital information operations and electoral interference, she has advised a range of governments at the highest levels and has spearheaded partnerships with the UN, EU Commission and Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. She has also worked with the private and civil society sectors to promote innovation, including developing major programmes run in partnership with Google, FB and Microsoft. Sasha serves as an expert advisor to the UK Counter-Extremism Commission and the Mayor of London’s counter-extremism programme, and is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Sasha previously served as Senior Director at the EastWest Institute where she led conflict resolution programming. Sasha has testified before US Congress, the UK Parliament and is a regular commentator in the media (CNN, BBC, Channel 4 News and other networks).
Jennie King
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Jennie King

Head of Climate Research and Policy

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Jennie King
Jennie King

Head of Climate Research and Policy

Jennie King is Head of Climate Research and Policy, leading efforts to translate ISD's digital research into frontline programming and response. Through ISD, she helped found Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a coalition of over 50 organisations working to identify, analyse and counter climate disinformation worldwide. She has spearheaded investigations on climate denialism and ‘discourses of delay’ in the contexts of Australia, Canada, Central Europe, Germany, South Africa, the US and UK, as well as co-authored a number of ISD’s flagship reports on this issue. Jennie also helped design, and currently manages, the COP Intelligence Units on behalf of CAAD, leading over 15 partners to produce real-time monitoring of mis- and disinformation around climate summits.
Łukasz Janulewicz
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Łukasz Janulewicz

Analyst

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Łukasz Janulewicz
Łukasz Janulewicz

Analyst

Łukasz Janulewicz is an Analyst at ISD, focusing on climate disinformation in Poland and Germany. He previously worked at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM) in Warsaw, the Central European University in Budapest and the Bavarian State Parliament in Munich. Łukasz graduated in Political Science from the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent. At ISD, he has co-authored the research report: “Kalter Wind von Rechts: Wie rechte Parteien und Akteur:innen die Klimakrise zu ihren Gunsten missbrauchen Eine Analyse über falsche Fakten, Feindbilder und Desinformationsnarrative im Umfeld der Bundestagswahl 2021.”
Paula Matlach
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Paula Matlach

Analyst, ISD Germany

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Paula Matlach
Paula Matlach

Analyst, ISD Germany

Paula Matlach is an analyst at ISD Germany. She studies the spread of disinformation and extremist ideologies in German- and English-speaking countries. Prior to joining ISD Germany, she was a researcher at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, where she published articles on network regulation and foreign influence, among other topics. Most recently, Paula co-authored the report "On Odysee: The Role of Blockchain Technology for Monetization in the Far-Right Online Milieu" as part of the project "Countering Radicalization in Far-Right Online Subcultures" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Justice. She also co-authored a "Cold Wind from the Right: How Right-Wing Parties and Actors Are Abusing the Climate Crisis for Their Benefit. An Analysis of False Facts, Enemy Images, and Disinformation Narratives Surrounding the 2021 Bundestag Election", " Germany and the Alleged Climate Lockdown. How right-wing populists and conspiracy groups are using the pandemic to mobilize against climate protection" and "Escape routes. How Network Enforcement Law is Circumvented on Established Social Media by Linking to Alternative Platforms". She holds an MA in Strategic Communication from the War Studies Department at King's College London.
Cécile Simmons
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Cécile Simmons

Research Manager

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Cécile Simmons
Cécile Simmons

Research Manager

Cécile Simmons is a Research Manager at ISD, specialising in malign influence operations targeting elections, public health and climate disinformation, far-right extremism and conspiracy theories. Her research includes social media network mapping, data analysis and ethnographic monitoring of closed online spaces. Her writing and commentary has been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Wired, among others. She previously worked in publishing and journalism, and holds an MSc in International History from the London School of Economics.