Can you handle the truth? Our Bot is putting climate misinformation to rest ahead of COP 28
In an era where ‘fake news’ is spreading across social media platforms as quickly as wildfires around the globe, we are on a mission to share the truth about climate change and the automotive industry. Ahead of COP 28, our specially-built Truth Bot is searching out climate misinformation posted on X to reply with facts.
The misuse of data regarding the climate is incredibly damaging
Hello, world
Social media platforms are full of statements and opinions about the environment and climate change. How much truth there is to these claims is concerning. Since 2020 we have been sharing detailed reports on our own emissions and climate impact, including information on material sourcing and supply chain traceability.
That’s why in the build up to COP 28, which starts on 30 November 2024 in the UAE, we are running a campaign to bust some myths around climate change within the automotive industry.
Our ‘Truth Bot’ will be active on X (formerly Twitter) from 23 November in the lead up to the global climate conference. Its objective is simple – to identify posts that include misinformation regarding these topics, and join the online conversation by raising relevant facts or statistics to reveal the truth behind the fiction being widely shared on social media. We have chosen X for our campaign as a recent report by Climate Action Against Disinformation revealed that the falsest information about the environment is shared via this social media platform.
We believe that stating the truth about global climate change is more crucial than ever in a landscape of fake news and everyday exposure to misinformation online. Our bot has been designed to counter this problem by spreading facts about the environmental impact of the automotive industry and the role of EV cars in fighting global warming.
Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, explained why this campaign is so important: “The misuse of data regarding the climate is incredibly damaging. We need transparency and science-based information to be able to create the worldwide agreements and action plans needed to tackle climate change, which is the goal of COP 28. At Polestar we want to build a culture of transparency and honesty when it comes to our business' and products' climate impact and potential, from designing and manufacturing an EV through to it being driven on the road. We will only be united in climate action as an industry if we see the same thing, and by combating misuse of data we show our commitment.”
So, how does the Truth Bot work?
The Bot is a custom-designed tool that will trawl through hundreds of thousands of posts on social media platform X to identify ones spreading climate and EV misinformation. Once it finds a damaging post, the Bot will curate a response sharing facts about these topics, thereby fighting on this plaform.
For example, if someone writes: ‘We don’t need EVs because fossil fuels aren’t that bad for the environment’, our Bot will sweep in to clarify that, in fact: ‘Coal, oil and gas are the biggest contributors to climate change, producing 75% of the world’s greenhouse gases, and up to 90% of global carbon emissions’.
We’ve sourced our information from the most reputable reports, such as the recent IPCC ‘Impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C’ special report, and IEA ‘The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions’ report. Adding our own voice to the topic, we created the 2023 Pathway report with Kearney and Rivian, which sees a joint effort towards collective climate action within the automotive space. Read more about our transparency policy here.
We will be continuing our myth-busting mission in person at COP 28 with activities in the Blue and Green Zones, including an exhibition on the use of materials in the automotive industry, and panel talks surrounding the importance of collective action within the sector.
The truth about climate change is out there. Click the arrow below to vist the Truth Bot site and join in the fight.
