The problem

81% of people in the UK get their news from social media (Ofcom 2025). But social media sites are powered by algorithms that actively promote the most extreme views to drive engagement. Provocative and misleading information about climate action is thriving, sowing confusion and slowing down the urgent action we all need.  

 

The challenge

How might we support local campaigners to get ahead of dis- and misinformation in their communities, not just in global forums like X, but in community Facebook groups, local WhatsApp chats and in everyday conversations?

 

What we did

We created a pilot programme for local campaigners, to support them to understand, counter and respond constructively to climate disinformation in community Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and other local online spaces. Harriet Kingaby, an expert in information integrity designed and delivered the training. The programme took the form of a three-session journey to make space for action-learning - participants could try out tools and share reflections afterwards.    

What we learned

Simple strategies – like a decision-tree to help understand when to ignore, monitor or respond – provide useful shortcuts.  Think about ‘persuadables’ and don't try to win every battle. Don't be intimidated and retreat too far from local forums.  

Local campaigners have a super-power: they are trusted communicators in their neighbourhoods. So in many cases getting ahead of the story might mean thinking more creatively about how to build trust in the offline world as part of a combined strategy. 

What next?

This was a pilot programme.  
We’ll be looking at how to make these resources and approach more widely available.  
 

 

We’re also curious about the role of new initiatives like Media Revolution, or more established programmes like Carbon Literacy training. If you have an idea that you’d like to prototype or explore with us, get in touch.