Guide instructs legal action against climate misinformation
Publication presents legal strategies and resources to fight climate denial and secure access to information
Foto: Manjunath KIRAN / AFP
With the purpose of facing this challenge, the Environmental Policy and Justice Research Laboratory (LAPAJ, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Política Ambiental e Justiça), the “Democracia em Xeque” Institute (DX), Conectas Direitos Humanos, the Consumer Protection Institute (IDEC, Instituto de Defesa do Consumidor), and the Mining Observatory (Observatório da Mineração), with support from the Partner Network for the Integrity of Climate Change Information (RPIIC, Rede de Parceiros pela Integridade da Informação sobre Mudança do Clima), the National Association of Public Defenders (ANADEP, Associação Nacional das Defensoras e Defensores Públicos), and the Association of Public Defenders of the State of Espírito Santo (ADEPES, Associação dos Defensores Públicos do Estado do Espírito Santo) released the Guide for Legal Advocacy in Climate Information Integrity.
The material offers a roadmap for legal practitioners divided into four parts. The first presents core concepts – such as greenwashing and climate denial – and maps out the main strategies through which misinformation is spread. It also discusses instruments used to tackle misinformation, such as scientific education, fact checking, and digital platform regulation.
The second part discusses how climate misinformation violates core human rights, such as access to information, health, political participation, and a balanced environment – disproportionately affecting more vulnerable populations. The third part, in turn, brings together legal resources, court decisions, and practical cases that are references for law professionals. Finally, the guide identifies legal and institutional actors capable of working in an articulated manner, reinforcing the importance of cooperation between different sectors.
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Climate information as a legal and social duty
Recent surveys by the Information Integrity Observatory and the international coalition Climate Action Against Disinformation point out that publications with disinformation on COP30 had over twice the reach in August compared to the average in the previous seven months.
In this context of narrative dispute, the guide intends to offer a practical tool to those who work for socio-environmental justice. Its purpose is to “gather, within a simple document, a set of concepts, discussions, strategies, and suggested actions for the work of law professionals”, while inviting the legal sector to engage with the climate agenda and react to concrete disinformation situations.
Climate disinformation has deep-rooted effects: it delays mitigation policies, impoverishes public discussions, expands polarization, and weakens institutions. In extreme cases, it fosters attacks against environmental defenders and violates the right to truth.
With Brazil being on the verge of hosting COP30, the fight against climate disinformation is more than an urgent task – it is an ethical, legal, and social imperative to assure environmental justice and the right to information for society at large.
