A new report shows tens of thousands of misleading posts on climate change receive millions of views daily

A new study has revealed a disturbing rise in climate misinformation on Facebook, with thousands of posts denying or downplaying the climate crisis reaching millions of users every day. The report, published by the Real Facebook Oversight Board and the environmental group Stop Funding Heat, analyzed over 195 Facebook pages and groups, finding that approximately 45,000 posts related to climate misinformation garnered between 818,000 and 1.36 million views daily.

The findings indicate a significant increase in climate denial on the platform, a trend that experts say could undermine global efforts to tackle climate change. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who commented on the study, stated, “Facebook and other social media companies make money when they send users down rabbit holes of climate denial.”

The report’s timing coincided with the ongoing COP26 climate summit, which highlighted the urgent need for action on climate change. Researchers stressed the importance of addressing climate misinformation on social media platforms like Facebook to ensure that global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not derailed.

Among the analyzed pages were some with names like “Climate Change is Natural” and “Climate Change is Crap,” which predominantly shared memes mocking climate change legislation and politicians. These pages are primarily responsible for spreading misinformation that continues to influence public perception of the climate crisis.