climate disinformation Mapping in French and Brazilian mainstream media

The report analyzes climate disinformation in French and Brazilian mainstream media, finding that while France sees a high volume of structured disinformation narratives—particularly regarding energy and mobility—Brazil experiences a 'media invisibility' of environmental issues driven by agribusiness and political influence. It highlights the role of public broadcasting as a bulwark in France and warns that disinformation during extreme weather events can undermine emergency responses. The authors recommend strengthening media regulation, improving journalist training, and institutionalizing semi-automated disinformation detection systems.

• In France, 529 cases of climate misinformation were detected over eight months, with a significant increase during the summer (July–August) and peaks coinciding with political events like Donald Trump’s inauguration and debates on low-emission zones (ZFE).
• Climate disinformation in France is highly concentrated on climate action solutions; over 90% of cases target net-zero solutions, with 70% specifically related to the energy sector, particularly renewable energies.
• French public broadcasting is significantly more resilient to disinformation than private media; 24-hour news channels that devote less airtime to climate change are more vulnerable, with CNews identified as the most exposed.
• In France, misinformation is frequently disseminated by guests (32%) and politicians (24%), while in private media, journalists or editorialists are responsible for 46% of cases.
• Climate disinformation in Brazil is characterized by the 'media invisibility' of environmental issues, where coverage is low (barely 1% of monitored airtime in summer 2025) and often presented in a misleadingly neutral way due to the influence of agribusiness, mining, and fossil fuel sectors.
• Preliminary Brazilian data shows that 70% of detected misinformation cases occurred on the Jovem Pan channel, with a peak in September 2025.
• In Brazil, disinformation is used to dismantle environmental protections and legitimize extractive projects, such as oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon, and to discredit environmental defenders, increasing their vulnerability to violence.
• The report identifies a shift toward 'new climate denial,' which no longer denies global warming's existence but instead undermines the feasibility, legitimacy, or socio-economic consequences of mitigation and adaptation measures.
• Disinformation during extreme weather events can reduce the effectiveness of protective measures and undermine confidence in official evacuation orders.
• In France, disinformation has directly influenced legislation, such as a 2025 moratorium on new renewable energy facilities justified by a false claim that renewables caused blackouts in Spain and Portugal.
• The report recommends that France overhaul Arcom's sanctions regime to include financial penalties of up to 10% of turnover and the potential withdrawal of broadcasting licenses for systemic breaches.

APA

QuotaClimat (2025). climate disinformation Mapping in French and Brazilian mainstream media. https://quotaclimat.org/app/uploads/2026/03/Mapping-climate-disinformation-France-and-Brazil_2025.pdf

Chicago

QuotaClimat. climate disinformation Mapping in French and Brazilian mainstream media. 2025. https://quotaclimat.org/app/uploads/2026/03/Mapping-climate-disinformation-France-and-Brazil_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=QuotaClimat |title=climate disinformation Mapping in French and Brazilian mainstream media |date=October 2025 |url=https://quotaclimat.org/app/uploads/2026/03/Mapping-climate-disinformation-France-and-Brazil_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{quotaclimat2025climate, author = {{QuotaClimat}}, title = {{climate disinformation Mapping in French and Brazilian mainstream media}}, institution = {QuotaClimat}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://quotaclimat.org/app/uploads/2026/03/Mapping-climate-disinformation-France-and-Brazil_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }