By Aria Kazi.
Did you know that 36 per cent of the world’s population still do not believe in Climate Change?
Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, misinformation and denial still remain in the public discourse, particularly on social media.
Franek Dobronski, a Bachelors of Climate, Environment and Sustainability student explains how misinformation continues to affect people of all ages, and continues to shape public understanding of climate change across all age groups, even when the science itself is clear.
Where does Climate Misinformation thrive?
According to a report by the Environmental protection agency, research shows that only four per cent of people in Ireland believe that climate change will never harm them or only will in the distant future (in “50 years 8%, in 100 years 3%”).
On the other hand, more Irish people think it will harm others more than it will harm themselves.
Dobronski notes that climate change denial is rare within academic settings. Instead misinformation is more prevalent in public spaces, particularly on social media, where complex scientific issues are simplified to misleading narratives.
He also notes that political discourse also plays a role in shaping public understanding due to prominent figures and polarised debates.
Politics, Public figures and Confusion
Dobronski highlighted that political discourse is a key driver to climate misinformation. When climate change collides and becomes politicised, it is often overshadowed by ideological debates.
“Prominent figures can influence how people interpret climate issues”, noting that polarised political messaging can create confusion rather than clarity.
The Impact on young people
How does misinformation shape young people’s actions? According to Dobronski it doesn’t just distort understanding, it affects misinformation.
“Social media and news outlets are flooded with misinformation,” he says. “People don’t always know which sources to trust, or how to understand the information in a meaningful way.”
He also touched on how climate change is mentioned in schools but not spoken and explored enough in depth.
“Second-level education introduces the topic, but it’s not always clearly discussed or examined in detail.”
As a result, many young people underestimate the urgency of climate change or feel disconnected from their ability to make an impact.
“Just a small speck.” Why does denial still persist?
One common misconception is that individual actions are too miniscule to have meaningful actions on the planet itself.
“There’s this belief that we’re just tiny creatures on a massive planet,” he says. “That what we do couldn’t possibly influence something on that scale.”
This misapprehension causes people to not take responsibility even though human activity is the key to climate change. “The facts are there,” Dobronski adds, “but the message isn’t always getting through.”
This misunderstanding doesn’t just show up on social media but in fact also shows up in news reporting.
News Media and missed context
According to a report by IrishEVs, many major Irish media outlets fail to clearly ground climate stories in the science perspective and instead they promote short narratives.
For example, commentary on media coverage highlights how legacy media can also struggle to balance editorial perspectives with the urgent communication that climate science demands, amplifying misinterpretations rather than combating them.
Why does it still matter?
Climate misinformation remains a huge issue in shaping people’s responsibility, urgency and action. Although the facts are embedded nearly everywhere, the way it is told through politics, media and education remains fragmented.
As Dobronski’s perspective shows, addressing climate change is not only about producing more data, but about ensuring that the message reaches people clearly, accurately and without distortion.
Until that happens, misinformation will continue to stand between scientific truth and meaningful action.