By Spyridoula Markou*
News about the impacts of climate change flood the headlines all year round, covering a wide range from melting ice and rising sea levels to shifting weather patterns and increasing wildfires. Whether it’s a headline in a newspaper, a viral post on social media, or a segment on the evening news, claims about climate change are everywhere. But not all of them are true. Some are misleading, others are entirely fabricated, casting doubt on science, exaggerating uncertainty, or spreading confusion about who’s responsible and what can be done. These false narratives don’t just muddy the waters, they slow down climate action and make adaptation harder.
Inaccurate information, whether it appears in traditional or digital media, can affect public attitudes, weaken support for environmental policies, and undermine trust in science. For climate adaptation and action to succeed, people need to rely on facts, not slogans, half-truths, or conspiracy theories. In a media environment where citizens are bombarded daily with an abundance of sources and claims, the ability to cross-check information is not just helpful, it is essential, especially during times of crisis.
Fact-checking isn’t just something journalists do in newsrooms. It’s a crucial skill that helps all of us assess the reliability of what we read, hear, and share. It gives us the tools to push back against disinformation and protect public understanding of climate science. It also helps amplify accurate reporting and hold even those who bring the news to account, as they may — intentionally or not — convey false or misleading information.
Recognising the importance of these skills, our Adaptation AGORA module on fact-checking and verification guides participants through practical ways to evaluate sources, check credibility, and use free tools such as reverse image searches, Google Fact Check Explorer, and web archives. By learning how to verify multimedia content and conduct targeted searches, participants gain essential abilities that are no longer optional in today’s complex information environment, especially when it comes to something as urgent and far-reaching as climate change.
While equipping people with fact-checking skills is essential, it is equally important to recognise the crucial role of professional fact-checkers who follow strong standards and work full-time to identify and debunk false claims. Initiatives like the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) play a vital role in identifying and debunking climate-related falsehoods across Europe. On a global level, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and its signatory organisations also contribute significantly to this effort, underlining the worldwide dimension of the issue. Their work helps expose misleading narratives whether by malign actors or unsuspecting individuals and ensures that the public has access to verified, understandable information. Supporting and sharing fact-checks published by members of EDMO or signatories of EFCSN and IFCN is one way to help stop harmful claims from gaining ground.
Tackling disinformation is part of tackling climate change. Being able to recognise reliable information —and call out what isn’t— makes us all more resilient and better prepared to act.
*Spyridoula Markou is a fact-checking consultant at Athens Technology Center and an assessor at IFCN and EFCSN. She has worked on projects addressing Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and was previously a fact-checker at Ellinika Hoaxes. She holds a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Media and a Bachelor’s in Primary Education. Her research interests include disinformation, FIMI, climate change disinformation, and media literacy.