Facebook launches climate science information centre to combat misinformation
15 September 2020, 06:04
The social media firm has also announced new targets for its business to reach net-zero emissions
Facebook has launched a new information centre aimed at providing users with accurate content about climate science in its latest response to online misinformation.
The new feature follows the platform’s coronavirus Information Centre, which was introduced earlier in the pandemic in an effort to direct users to accurate information.
The social media giant said the Climate Science Information Centre will host “factual resources from the world’s leading climate organisations”.
It will feature facts, figures and data from the Met Office as well as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and others.
Facebook said the new tool would also include actionable steps individuals can take in their everyday lives to help combat climate change.
Social networks have been under pressure to improve their handling of misinformation, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic when a number of false claims relating to the virus were able to spread online.
“One of the biggest lessons we have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is how powerful Facebook can be for connecting people to accurate, expert advice and information during a global crisis,” Facebook said.
“Now, we are taking a similar approach to the climate crisis by launching a new Climate Science Information Centre on Facebook to connect people to factual and up-to-date climate information.
“We have modelled the centre and the information within it on our Covid-19 Information Centre that has, so far, directed more than two billion people to information from health authorities, with more than 600 million people clicking through to learn more.”
The social media platform also announced that its global operations will reach net-zero carbon emissions this year, supported by 100% renewable energy.
The company said it was also setting the target of reaching net-zero emissions for its “value chain”, which includes emissions from suppliers and other factors such as employee commuting and business travel, by 2030.
