A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscored that while we can’t stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years, action we take now could still help slow or even stabilize rising temperatures. We know this is an important issue to our community. In a survey that we ran earlier this year on Facebook, in partnership with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, we found that more than 6 in 10 people across all countries and territories surveyed want more information about climate change.
Today, we’re announcing several new measures to help our community engage with climate topics and ensure people have access to reliable information while reducing misinformation:
- Expanding the Climate Science Center: A year after launching the Climate Science Information Center, we’re renaming it the Climate Science Center and adding new features, like quizzes, to better inform and engage our community on climate change.
- Increasing Reliable Information About Climate Change:
- We’re announcing a $1 million investment in a new climate grant program, in partnership with the International Fact Checking Network, to support organizations working to combat climate misinformation.
- We’re expanding our Facts About Climate Change section of the Climate Science Center with additional facts about climate change.
- Elevating Climate Voices: We’re kicking off a video series to highlight young climate advocates on Facebook and Instagram between Climate Week and COP26.
Expanding the Climate Science Center
Last year, we launched the Climate Science Information Center in four countries to connect people with science-based information on climate change. We’ve since expanded to 16 countries with more than 3.8 million followers and over 100,000 daily visitors. One key learning from the past year is that while providing authoritative information is an important first step, we can add additional features to better inform and engage our community on climate change. This is why we’re renaming the hub to the Climate Science Center and are adding new modules like a quiz feature in collaboration with the IPCC to test their knowledge about climate change and a feature that provides people with information about climate-related crises, starting with wildfires.
Taking New Steps to Combat Climate Misinformation
We’re taking steps to make sure people have access to reliable information while reducing climate misinformation, even as it makes up a small amount of the overall climate content on our apps. We’re announcing a Climate Misinformation grant program, administered by the International Fact Checking Network, to support organizations working to combat climate misinformation. Through our $1 million investment in this new grant program, we’ll invest in proposals that build alliances between fact-checkers, climate experts and other organizations to support projects that focus on combating climate misinformation.
In consultation with climate communication experts from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, University of Cambridge and Monash University, we’re also adding new facts to the Facts About Climate Change section of the Climate Science Center like “Sea levels have risen an average of eight inches globally since 1880.” and “The way scientists predict changes in climate patterns has proven to be reliable.” These facts debunk common climate myths and provide reliable information from leading climate organizations.
Elevating Climate Voices
Starting during Climate Week, September 20-26, we will highlight creators and advocates who raise awareness of climate change on our apps. We’ll also be launching a special food sustainability video with Sydel Curry-Lee on Facebook Watch, featuring a number of climate creators on @Instagram and highlighting several environmental advocates in an effort to inspire and inform others on @Facebook. We’ll also continue our support of the Say It With Science series on Facebook, where the UN Foundation and IPCC bring together scientists and youth advocates to present the latest climate science to our community.
We continue to be inspired by all the ways our community is tackling climate change — from the 6 million people in Facebook Groups dedicated to protecting our environment to the 3.5 million people who have raised more than $130 million for environmental causes on Facebook and Instagram.