Misinformation, climate denial and polarization

Despite the scientific consensus on climate change, widespread denial and skepticism in Canada call into question actions to combat global warming. Such rhetoric fuels mistrust of institutions and polarized debates, potentially conducive to extremist activity. Questions remain about the origins, impact and solutions to this phenomenon, requiring a deeper understanding to strengthen democratic dialogue.

These discourses of climate denial or skepticism are essentially aimed at contesting action against climate change, either by denying global warming, its human source or the scale of its consequences, or by challenging the very nature of the problem or by questioning the realism, effectiveness or acceptability of proposed measures.

Between legitimate questions, genuine fears, intentional disinformation and far-fetched “theories”, how is the disinformation space on this issue structured in Canada and Quebec? Who are the main players? What are the main discourses? Who in the population adheres to them, and why? And how can we prevent these discourses from becoming extremist and fuelling social polarization?

The aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of online climate misinformation, the different actors and discourses involved, the level and factors of public support for it, including their effects on social polarization, and the means of countering it, in particular by promoting open and pluralistic exchanges on this issue, so as to preserve a certain social cohesion in the face of the difficult choices we will (or won’t) have to make.