Create a network of messengers to raise awareness of the climate crisis

There is no better antidote to denial than good information. This is the premise with which Verificat pel Clima, an initiative by the United Nations, TikTok and Purpose to “talk more and better” about the climate crisis and sustainability on networks, begins. The goal, according to the project promoters, is to create a network of climate messengers, on the one hand, to dismantle the fake news that spreads on these digital platforms, and on the other hand, to provide quality information on environmental issues. This project is now arriving in Spain with the help of dozens of climate scientists, activists and communicators. Among them is EL PERIÓDICO science and environmental journalist Valentina Rafio.

This pioneering initiative has already been launched in the UAE and Brazil. Now, with the addition of Spain to the project, this will be the first time a network of this program has been deployed in Europe. “The fight against climate is the largest and most important social movement in history,” says Jeremy Hymans, co-founder and president of Purpose, an entity working to combat climate change. “More and more people are joining this call. And they are always on the side of hope.” They are coordinating this campaign.

Leticia Álvarez Reguera, from the United Nations, adds: “We need accurate scientific information in Spanish about climate solutions because this crisis affects us all. The Verified by Climate initiative is an opportunity to bet on the integrity of the information.”

The newly launched Spanish network of authorized agents consists of dozens of people with different profiles: meteorologist Isabel Moreno (@isabelisamoren); Model, activist and environmental lawyer Clara Tomé (@iamclaratome); Writer Irene Banos Ruiz (@irenebanosr); environmental educator Laura Reboul (@lr_reboul__); Climate activist Maria Serra (@petitameractivist); Reporter and activist Mar Sala (@MarSala___); Meteorologist Mar Gomez (@margomezh); Creator Mario Caravera (@mariocaravera); Ecologist and scientist Diego Castineras (@ecodiuku); Journalist and climate activist Sarah Martinez (@sahlalalalaland), and journalist Valentina Raffio (@raffiovalentina).

Strict and responsible

From now on, over the coming months, members of this project will work in a coordinated way to create content on networks that talk about different aspects of the climate crisis as well as individual and collective actions we can promote to create a more sustainable world. “We need more rigorous and responsible climate communication. Communication capable of warning about the seriousness of the climate crisis and thus offering solutions to stop this problem,” explains Isabel Moreno, one of the members of this project. This specialist adds: “If you warn of a fire, you must indicate not only the fire but also the location of the exit door.”

Another major challenge, according to the opinion of physicist and media personality Mar Gomez, is “making clear that this crisis does not understand political colours.” “There are those who still think that advocating for the environment is a bit partisan, but nothing could be further from the truth. If the climate crisis has taught us anything, it's that we're all in the same boat to stop this problem,” he says. “Climate communicators must be honest and transparent,” Gomez adds. “Speak openly about what we know and what we don’t know. Be cautious about the progress being made but without falling into a state of panic.”

“We have to find new ways to communicate this crisis,” says activist Maria Serra, who started working in environmental protection when she was 16 and with other colleagues founded the Fridays for Future movement in Barcelona. “For years, the conversation about this crisis has brought up images of polar bears and melting ice,” says Serra. “But it is about much more than that. It is also about social justice, and how together we can build a better world.” This activist adds: “It is necessary to talk about data, reports and science. But it is also necessary to appeal to empathy.”

There are more and more activists who, in addition to pointing out the problem, choose to emphasize solutions to deal with this crisis. “If we only talk about how bad everything is, people will eventually face this news with anxiety or apprehension. No. We need things that mobilize us, serve as inspiration, and cause change,” comments Sarah Martinez, environmental journalist and environmental activist. Climate activist. An example of this, Martinez explains, is what happened with the pellet crisis in Galicia. “If you only talk about plastic pollution, all is lost. But if you explain all the clean-up campaigns, action groups and citizen initiatives that have been created to deal with this, there is a hope gap in Keep Acting,” he says. “We need examples and models to follow,” he stresses.