The EDMO Training series on climate disinformation is part of EDMO’s thematic training series looking at specific disinformation topics.
The second module in the series zooms into effective responses to climate disinformation bringing in insights from experts and practitioners active in the field.
Stephan Lewandowsky will map out the variables that determine people’s acceptance or rejection of the findings from climate science. He will highlight the rhetorical techniques that are being used by political actors to confuse or misinform the public. He will also provide a broad overview of potential countermeasures.
John Cook will delve into the details of the psychological research into prebunking (e.g., inoculation) and debunking of climate misinformation. He will also outline research into the effectiveness of consensus messaging – communicating the scientific consensus on climate change.
Finally, Simone Fontana will share the experience of A Fuoco, a newsletter funded by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF), entirely dedicated to climate change and related mis- and disinformation. He will analyze the lessons learned over the two years of the project, in an effort to outline an effective approach to communicating issues related to the climate crisis.
Meet your Trainers
I am a cognitive scientist interested in the pressure points between the architecture of online information technologies and human cognition, and the consequences for democracy that arise from those pressure points. This has led me to examine the persistence of misinformation and spread of “fake news” in society, including conspiracy theories, and how platform algorithms may contribute to the prevalence of misinformation.
John Cook is a Senior Research Fellow with the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change at the University of Melbourne. He researches how to use critical thinking to counter misinformation. He created the Cranky Uncle game, combining critical thinking, cartoons, and gamification to build resilience against misinformation. He has worked with organizations such as Facebook, NASA, and UNICEF to develop evidence-based responses to misinformation.
Simone Fontana is a journalist based in Italy and managing editor of Facta. He focuses on disinformation, politics, extremism and online communities, but he also covered social and economic issues related to the environmental and climate crisis. Since 2023, he has been editing the newsletter “A Fuoco”, dedicated to climate change and related mis- and disinformation.
His work has been published in Italy and abroad in publications such as La Repubblica, L’Espresso, Domani, Wired, Rolling Stone, Green European Journal and The Daily Dot.
Target audience
The training series is open to all stakeholders working to tackle disinformation as well as climate policy experts interested in questions related to climate disinformation.
Deadline
Register here by 3 July 2025, 17:00 CEST.