Scientists in the book describe how they believe climate misinformation spreads

Prague/Brussels – Experts who are part of the scientific network on climate science, in a new book, uncover the strategies organized networks and individuals use to prevent Europe from fighting climate change. Climate obstructions are kept alive by the rise of the far right or so-called greenwashing, the publication states. Experts examined eleven individual countries, including the Czech Republic, with one chapter dedicated to the European Union as a whole. At a press conference in Brussels today, the authors and representatives of The Climate Social Science Network (CSSN) presented the book to journalists. The publication is available online.

“The book reveals deeply rooted networks of climate misinformation that exist across the European continent and are fueled by the interests of the fossil industry, far-right think tanks, political groups, and corporate lobbyists. The book sheds light on the complex strategies of denial, delay, and deception that not only hinder crucial climate policies for decades but also undermine democratic structures in the EU,” said professor of environmental studies, sociologist, and book co-editor J. Timmons Roberts. Scientists who focus on climate science, misinformation, political science, communication, economics contributed to the book. Czech experts analyzed climate skepticism, which they believe has roots in the era of former President Václav Klaus. His denial had ideological foundations and claimed that measures posed a threat to the free market economy, they write in the book. According to the authors, his message was helped to spread by ODS or liberal-conservative think tanks.

Authors in the book state that due to the rise of the far right in some countries, such as Italy and Germany, climate denial is still kept alive. They use, among other things, conservative networks with ties to the United States. Other far-right parties, such as the Swedish Democrats and the Spanish Vox, are using social, cultural, and ideological differences to further divide the public, according to scientists. Another obstruction described in the book is greenwashing by large oil and gas companies. They falsely present themselves as sustainable alternatives in the fossil industry, the authors claim. According to scientists, this has influenced specific political decisions at the highest level under the name of transition technologies. The inclusion of gas projects in the EU’s green taxonomy is a result of fossil greenwashing, they stated. Greenwashing is a form of marketing used to convince the public that the products, goals, and policies of an organization are environmentally friendly. Other obstructions also include the systematic postponement of necessary climate measures.

The book was published by Oxford University Press. The chapter on the Czech Republic was compiled by political scientists Milan Hrubeš from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Hradec Králové and Ondřej Císař from the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University in Prague. Last year, a similarly focused book, The Factory of Lies by sociologist Vojtěch Pecka, was published in the Czech Republic.