In today’s digital and AI-shaped information environment, disinformation has become a systemic risk, weakening trust, distorting decision-making, and ultimately undermining our ability to act collectively on climate issues.
In Malaysia, this matters. Climate change is not a standalone policy issue; it is a systemic challenge that affects public health, land use, energy security, food systems, and economic prosperity, and it requires long-term planning. When climate information is distorted, delayed, or selectively presented, it undermines the evidence needed for sound decision-making across all these areas.
The damage does not stop online. It leads to weaker policies, slower action, and declining public trust at a time when clear, coordinated, science-based responses are most urgently required.
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Recent research on climate disinformation in Malaysia reveals a worrying truth: Much of the misleading climate content people see is not accidental. It is built into the way politics, media, and development decisions work; where certainty, speed, and positive headlines are rewarded over accuracy and accountability. This suits powerful interests well, making climate disinformation a convenient tool for political and economic gain.
