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.