COP31: UN Launches Global Initiative to Promote Reliable Climate Information, Address AI-Related Risks

COP31: UN Launches Global Initiative to Promote Reliable Climate Information, Address AI-Related Risks
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A new global initiative has been launched at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, to strengthen the reliability of climate change information generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and improve transparency regarding the technology’s environmental impact.

The initiative, titled Priorities for Action on AI and Climate Information Integrity, was unveiled on Friday, November 13, by the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, co-chaired by the United Nations, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Brazil.

The initiative comes amid growing public reliance on artificial intelligence for climate-related information, alongside concerns about the spread of misleading content, particularly during environmental emergencies. Its organisers warn that AI-generated images and videos can circulate faster than official warnings during climate disasters, potentially undermining public understanding and emergency response efforts.

Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Adviser on Information Integrity at the UN Department of Global Communications, stressed that the central issue is not simply whether artificial intelligence benefits or harms the climate, but whether people can trust the information they receive from AI systems and claims about their environmental impact.

The new guidelines call on technology companies to assess how their AI systems affect the accuracy and reliability of climate information, publish their findings, and disclose their energy consumption and carbon, water and land footprints.

Governments are also urged to incorporate information integrity into their national artificial intelligence strategies and climate action plans, ensuring greater accountability and transparency in the use and development of emerging technologies.

The recommendations are based on human rights principles and build on the Belém Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, introduced during COP30 in Brazil, as well as the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity.

The initiative’s partners have also called for increased investment in reliable information systems that enable people to understand climate change and respond effectively. Germany has so far pledged more than $2.2 million to support research, develop communication strategies and launch public awareness campaigns.

In a related development, COP31 also witnessed the launch of the Charter for Climate Information Integrity in Advertising, aimed at tackling the financing and monetisation of climate disinformation and denial.