By Anders Lorenzen

The United Nations (UN) warns that disinformation campaigns, mainly from fossil fuel companies, are slowing the transition to clean energy.

Selwin Hart, a special climate adviser to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and assistant secretary-general for UN Climate, said that in relation to the debate about a “backlash” against climate action, a narrative was created by the fossil fuel industry as a purely delaying tactic to get countries to delay their emissions reduction policies. He does not think it is the case that the general public is rejecting climate policies.

The UN official added: “There is this prevailing narrative – and much of it is pushed by the fossil fuel industry and their cronies – that climate action is too difficult, too expensive. It is absolutely critical that leaders, and all of us, push back and explain to people the value of climate action, but also the consequences of climate inaction.”

More support for climate action than ever before

To contrast the perception of a climate policy backlash, he pointed to the findings of the largest-ever climate poll. The Peoples’ Climate Vote was conducted last month by the United Nations Development Programme (UN DP), with the global poll finding that 72% wanted a “rapid transition” away from fossil fuels. Furthermore, 86% of respondents believed that countries around the world should work together on climate change, despite disagreements in other areas. It also found that people are more, not less, concerned about climate change, with 53% saying they were more concerned than the year before, and 31% saying they were as concerned as the year before.

The special adviser on climate change added: “This should be a warning to political leaders – those who are ambitious are not only on the right side of history, they are also on the side of their people.” He added: “Climate seems to be slipping down the list of priorities for leaders, but we really need leaders now to deliver maximum ambition. And we need maximum cooperation. Unfortunately, we are not seeing that at the moment.”

Hart warned that the consequences of inaction are being felt in rich and poor countries alike. He cited the US as an example, saying that many of its citizens are finding it increasingly impossible to insure their homes in the wake of the growing climate impact of extreme weather. “This is directly attributable to the climate crisis and directly attributable to the use of fossil fuels. Ordinary people are paying the price for a climate crisis, while the fossil fuel industry continues to make excessive profits and receives huge government subsidies,” the UN official said.

Hart encouraged climate action, saying that despite the backlash, we have never been better placed to tackle the climate crisis. “Renewables are the cheapest they have ever been, the pace of the energy transition is accelerating,” he said.

He urged national governments to ensure that their climate policies are fair and do not place unfair burdens on low-income people, explaining that poorly designed measures could harm the poorest in society. “Every country will really have to make sure that the transition is well planned to minimize the impact on people and vulnerable populations, because a lot of the so-called backlash comes when there is a perception that the costs are being felt disproportionately by poor and vulnerable people,” the Guterres aide concluded.