Full Breakdown
Foreign State Actors Exploit Climate Crises to Spread Disinformation in Europe
7/21/2026, 12:07:44 AM
Core Event
During the summer of 2024 France experienced its third major heatwave in mid-July, a period that coincided with a surge in climate-related disinformation. A pro-Russian Twitter account (@camille_moscow) posted a claim that the U.S. HAARP program was causing European heatwaves, reviving an old conspiracy theory with no scientific basis.
Context: Climate Events as Vectors for Information Warfare
Researcher Mathilde Jourde, head of the Climate, Environment and Security programme at the French think-tank IRIS, explains that “information warfare latches onto issues that are polarising within societies. Climate change is becoming an increasingly central issue within our societies, especially in Europe. So foreign actors are starting to use the climate as a tool for destabilisation, as a strategic lever.” The IRIS report “Climate Disinformation and Information Warfare: State Interference and Security Implications” (May 2026) identifies Russia and the United States as the primary state sponsors targeting Europe, often focusing on policies such as the European Green Deal.
Main Actors and Channels
- Russia: Utilises state media (e.g., Russia Today) and covert networks like Portal Kombat, uncovered by the French anti-interference service Viginum in 2024.
- United States: Disseminates misleading narratives through official channels, including a Department of Energy report containing “fake numbers” on the climate crisis. Conservative think-tank groups such as the Heartland Institute—funded by ExxonMobil and Republican donors—operate a London office since 2024 to influence European energy policy.
- China: While not denying climate change, promotes narratives that downplay its responsibility and highlight Western culpability, participating in the same influence operations surrounding the 2023 Hawaii wildfires and the 2024 Valencia floods.
Illustrative Disinformation Campaigns
- 2024 Valencia floods: Russian-linked content amplified false emergency numbers and inflated death tolls, “sowing a type of mistrust in the authorities … and perhaps weakened people’s support for Europe’s position regarding Ukraine.”
- 2023 Hawaii wildfires: Russian narratives claimed the U.S. prioritized aid to Ukraine over wildfire victims.
- U.S. DOE report: Featured fabricated climate data, prompting questions about human impact on climate change on official sites.
Verbatim Quotes
- “But Jourde says the aims of this kind of disinformation could be much wider: "The disinformation itself might not be the main objective.” — Mathilde Jourde, IRIS
- “Many false emergency numbers circulated online. There were also fake reports of the number of people killed by these floods. That sowed a type of mistrust in the authorities among the population, which added to the chaos and, in the long term, perhaps weakened people’s support for Europe’s position regarding Ukraine.” — Mathilde Jourde, IRIS
- “The narrative is often relayed by official channels, Jourde says: "We saw fake numbers in a report published by the US Department of Energy on the climate crisis.” — Mathilde Jourde, IRIS
- “The organisation is openly sceptical of climate change and “receives funding from companies such as ExxonMobil and from Republican donors”.” — IRIS report on the Heartland Institute
- “won’t deny that climate change is happening, nor its seriousness, but it will promote certain narratives to defend its position” — Mathilde Jourde, IRIS
