First Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change Grants Announced Ahead of COP30

UNESCO, the UN Secretariat, and the Government of Brazil are pleased to announce the first group of high-scoring proposals selected under the Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change. These projects are now being contacted to finalize grant agreements.
This marks a major milestone in the fight against climate disinformation—one of the most pressing obstacles to effective, science-based climate action.

Launched on 5 June 2025, the Fund’s Call for Partnerships received an overwhelming 447 proposals from nearly 100 countries in just one month. The scale and diversity of this response underscores the urgency felt across the world to protect public debate from mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories, and manipulation—particularly in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

“The impressive response to this Call demonstrates both the urgency and the creativity of organizations worldwide in countering disinformation on climate change,” said Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.
“This Fund is helping to connect local expertise with global priorities, ensuring that accurate and reliable information can guide climate action at every level.”

The Fund provides targeted financial support to local, national, regional, and international not-for-profit organizations advancing research, investigative journalism, and strategic communications to strengthen information integrity on climate change.

Out of the 447 proposals submitted by the 6 July 2025 deadline, 319 met the eligibility criteria. Nearly two-thirds of these eligible proposals originated from the Global South, with especially strong representation from Africa (23%), Asia and the Pacific (18%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (26%).

This strong engagement from the Global South highlights both the depth of expertise and the acute need for resources in regions where the impacts of climate change and information disorder intersect most sharply.

“Supporting these organizations is in turn fostering healthy information ecosystems,” said Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. “When the public has the facts, people will be motivated to act.”

The current pool of eligible proposals requires nearly USD 38 million. With initial funding of USD 1 million from the Government of Brazil, the Fund is now moving forward with a first set of projects that are ready to launch.

“The Fund is already delivering results—but its true potential lies ahead,” said João Brant, Secretary for Digital Policies at the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil. “Each new contribution unlocks powerful work on the ground—investigations, campaigns, and research that directly combat climate disinformation.”

The current call remains valid through May 2027, with compliant proposals held for future consideration as additional funding becomes available. All projects undergo rigorous evaluation to ensure strategic alignment and impact.

UNESCO is calling on governments, philanthropic foundations, and private donors to join the Global Initiative and scale the response. Dozens of strong, field-ready proposals have already been vetted and are prepared to deliver practical, measurable solutions to defend climate information integrity.

UNESCO also invites more Member States to join the Initiative and affirm their commitment to accurate, evidence-based public discourse as a foundation of global climate action.

“Information integrity is not a side issue—it’s central to the success of climate action,” said Jelassi.
“We need to act together, and we need to act now.”

The list of projects selected in this first phase appears below (in alphabetical order):

• Advancing Information Integrity on Extreme Weather and Climate-related events
• Fake News Fighters
• Mapping the Socio-Environmental Disinformation Industry Online
• Nepal Climate Information Integrity Initiative
• Origen de la Desinformación Climática en Latinoamérica en América Latina
• Strengthening Media Capacities to Combat Climate Misinformation and Disinformation
• Telling Climate Truths: Strengthening Zero Waste Journalism and Climate Information Integrity in Asia Pacific
• The Climate Check: Journalism Against Disinformation
• The Toxic Ten and Climate Capture: How anti-science conspiracists and lobbyist’s dark money subvert public perceptions and policies across Africa
• Tras los desinformadores del clima

*Subject to final administrative review by UNESCO.