Climate at a Crossroads

At a time of mounting climate urgency, the integrity of our public discourse is under siege. Coordinated disinformation campaigns propelled by actors with particular interests, and accelerated by our algorithmically driven digital sphere, are not only sowing doubt about proposed solutions to mitigate climate change — they are undermining the very policy tools they require.

Although the scientific consensus on climate change is growing, and innovative economic policies and tools have the potential to make a difference, disinformation is becoming ever more sophisticated, shifting from outright denial to a more nuanced politics of delay, distortion, and inaction. Climate disinformation is no longer just an environmental issue – it’s a structural barrier to democratic governance.

This day-long event brings together global experts in climate and economic policy, media, and civil society to explore how climate disinformation is restraining progress. In the face of growing gaps in informational integrity there is a growing need for multi-sectoral, coordinated responses that work.

Join us, in Ottawa or online, for a riveting day of insights and conversation about how to ensure democratic governance in this new and contested climate crisis landscape.

Agenda
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8:30 AM – 9:20 AM ET
Registration

9:20 AM – 9:30 AM ET
Welcome Remarks

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM ET
Panel 1: Mapping The State of Climate Disinformation

Climate disinformation has evolved from efforts to contest the science to coordinated campaigns directed at influencing public opinion, markets, and policy. This panel will explore the current landscape of climate disinformation. What are the dominant disinformation narratives and strategies around climate change and mitigation? How are particular interests and actors amplifying them? And how do these evolving tactics undermine both policy and collective action?

Amy Janzwood, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and the Bieler School of the Environment, McGill University
Michael Khoo, Policy and Development Co-Chair, Climate Action Against Disinformation
Chris Russill, Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University; Academic Director, Re.Climate
Sonja Solomun, Assistant Professor, Max Bell School of Public Policy;
Deputy Director, Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, McGill University

10:45 AM – 11:05 AM ET
Morning Break

11:05 AM – 12:20 PM ET
Panel 2: Markets Under Pressure: Ecofiscal Tools and Climate Disinformation
Ecofiscal policies such as carbon pricing and sustainable finance rely on transparency and public trust. This panel investigates how disinformation campaigns are exploiting these mechanisms – from nuanced delay narratives that seed doubt about the energy transition and the potential for renewables to overt forms of ‘greenwashing’ and manipulation – and what can be done to reinforce accountability and legitimacy.

Kathryn Harrison, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia
Andrew Leach, Professor of Economics and Law, University of Alberta
Catherine McKenna, CEO, Climate and Nature Solutions; Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Infrastructure; Chair, UN Secretary General Expert Group on Net Zero
Christopher Ragan, Founding Director, Max Bell School of Public Policy, and Chair, Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission

12:20 PM – 1:35 PM ET
Lunch Break

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Panel 3: Building Resilience Against Climate Disinformation

Although climate disinformation is increasingly creating obstacles to timely and effective policy, institutions and governments are beginning to respond. Once driven by civil society and researchers, the newfound urgency is now reflected in the work of international bodies: the EU has called for a universal definition of climate disinformation, Canada has cracked down on greenwashing, and the International Panel on Climate Change has formally acknowledged its impact on policy for the first time. This panel explores these emerging efforts to build systemic resilience against climate disinformation, and how they can be connected to the everyday, lived realities of people around the world.

Geoff Dembicki, Investigative Reporter and Global Managing Editor, DeSmog
Adam Lynes-Ford, Co-Founder, My Climate Plan
Juhi Sohani, Managing Director, Action CoLab
Molly Thomas, Host, TVO’s Big [If True]

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM ET
Afternoon Break

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM ET
Final Keynote: Addressing Climate Disinformation Beyond Borders

Climate disinformation knows no borders. In this keynote “fireside chat”, Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, United Nations Global Communications, explores how transnational disinformation campaigns are undermining global climate action and how international institutions can respond collectively. Drawing from emerging models such as the UN Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, this moderated discussion will address calls for a coordinated international strategy to safeguard informational integrity and environmental policy on a planetary scale.

Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, United Nations Global Communications

Interviewed by Jennifer Welsh, Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and Professor of Global Governance and Security
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM ET
Closing Remarks
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM ET
Networking Reception

Host or Publisher The Walrus