The Stockholm Series of Public Lectures on Climate Change and Democracy (“Stockholm Series”) is a cooperation between renowned Stockholm-based institutions with a particular focus on climate change and democracy from different perspectives, including the Stockholm Environment Institute; the Stockholm Resilience Centre; Future Earth; the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Nordics Office; LSU - The National Council of Swedish Children and Youth Organisations; We Don’t Have Time and International IDEA.
The Stockholm Series aims to inform, inspire, and engage experts and the public by providing high-profile public lectures on the interlinkages between climate change and democracy, hosted by the Secretary-General of International IDEA, Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora.
Jennie King’s lecture “Overheated - The Fight for Information Integrity, Climate Action, and Democracy” took place on Tuesday 23 April 2024, at International IDEA’s Headquarters at Strömsborg in Stockholm, Sweden.
Democracy demands a public mandate, translating our common will into policies that can benefit the whole. This is especially true for the climate crisis, as we face a ‘brief and rapidly closing window’ (IPCC) to act for a liveable future. Despite the urgency and gravity of this moment, public discourse on the issue is increasingly fragmented, partisan, and unmoored from science. Climate action has become a lightning rod for conspiracism and mistrust of institutions and is being weaponised to deepen social divisions. How did we get here? Who stands to benefit? And, above all, how can we chart a pathway forward?
Read more about the lecture series at www.idea.int/theme/climate-ch...
Timestamps:
00:07 Stockholm Series introduction by International IDEA
05:50 Introduction: The Birth of a "Climate Lockdown" Conspiracy
14:28 How did we get here (1): Climate action and Democracy
20:08 How did we get here (2): Misinformation in Times of Crisis
25:45 Who stands to benefit (1): Overview
27:33 Who stands to benefit (2): The Fossil Fuel Lobby
31:57 Who stands to benefit (2b): Discourses of Delay
36:37 Who stands to benefit (2c): Greenwashing and Digital Influence
46:10 Who stands to benefit (3): The Attention Economy
49:20 Who stands to benefit (3a): Conspiracism and COVID-19
54:35 Who stands to benefit (4): State Actors and Far-Right Political Movements
1:00:42 Who stands to benefit (5): The End Goals of Climate Mis- and Disinformation
1:02:25 What happens now (1): Scrutiny on Advertising, PR and "Net Zero" Commitments
1:06:45 What happens now (2): Big Tech Accountability
1:10:43 What happens now (3): Addressing the "Demand" Side of Misinformation
1:12:21 What happens now (4): Pre-Bunking and Inoculation
1:14:19 Conclusion