Case Study 3: EEAS and NATO report – Climate disinformation as a tool of FIMI 4/6

Adaptation to local contexts

A notable characteristic of these campaigns is their ability to adjust messaging to national and regional contexts. In Western Europe, disinformation often highlights the costs of climate policy, especially during times of inflation or energy scarcity. In Central and Eastern Europe, messages tap into concerns over sovereignty, economic vulnerability, and historic dependencies on Russian energy. In the High North and Arctic regions—where NATO has increased its activity—climate narratives are used to stir suspicion of foreign intervention and to discredit NATO’s environmental role.

This localisation is deliberate. By echoing existing grievances and fears, the same false narrative can take on different forms, making it more persuasive and harder to counter.