From “It Doesn’t Exist” to the 2030 Agenda: Climate Hoaxes Under Scrutiny in the Canary Islands

The Government of the Canary Islands, through Islas Responsables Lab (IRLab), organized a day‑long event to examine how climate‑change hoaxes are created, disseminated, and countered. Held at the Presidency’s headquarters in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the meeting brought together scientists, journalists, and social‑media communicators to provide tools for spotting false messages and to reinforce data‑driven information.

During the session, participants tackled some of the most common climate hoaxes, including:

• Claims that climate change does not exist.
• Narratives that portray the 2030 Agenda as a hidden agenda serving secret interests.
• Assertions that sea‑level rise is solely a natural phenomenon, ignoring human influence.

According to the Canary executive’s statement, such messages must be cross‑checked against solid data, avoiding reliance on opinions and instead drawing on scientific sources, official agencies, research institutions, universities, and reputable media outlets.

The inaugural conference was delivered by Rocío Benavente, journalist at Maldita.es. She traced the evolution of climate misinformation over recent years, highlighted its most frequent narratives, and explained why the Canary Islands are a particular focal point for this phenomenon.

Round‑Table Discussions

Two panels were convened:

1. Climate Change, Ideology, and Power – exploring how political and ideological motives fuel misinformation.
2. Journalistic Tools for Verifying Information – discussing strategies journalists can use to defend verified facts in an environment saturated with hoaxes.

Key Conclusions

• Misinformation often serves economic, political, or other vested interests.
• Combating it requires media literacy, rigorous reporting, and clear, concise, and accessible content.
• It is essential to avoid alarmist language, tailor messages to diverse audiences, and always cite data sources, especially on social platforms where anonymous posts can accelerate the spread of falsehoods.

“Misinformation wears down public trust, divides society, and contaminates decision‑making,” warned Jonathan Domínguez, Vice‑Minister of Communication, during the opening remarks.

Domínguez added that confronting this challenge demands a stronger commitment to responsible journalism and scientific communication:

“Against noise, we need more science. Against fear, more rigorous information. And against manipulation, more critical thinking.”

The event underscored the urgency of equipping both the public and the media with the skills needed to discern fact from fiction in the ongoing climate‑change debate.