A report from an inquiry into the prevalence and impacts of misinformation and disinformation relating to climate change and energy in Australia. A robust information ecosystem is critical to the health of Australia's democracy and to its ability to meet the challenges arising from climate change – including the need to transition to renewable energy sources. However, the committee heard that the integrity of Australia's information ecosystem is threatened by a proliferation of misinformation and disinformation (mis/disinformation), which is polarising public discourse and eroding trust in science and knowledge institutions.

The report provides 21 recommendations.

Report structure

• Chapter 1: information and background
• Chapter 2: discusses the prevalence of threats to climate information integrity, including how they spread in Australia. 
• Chapter 3: looks at the playbook of climate obstruction. 
• Chapter 4: outlines the social and economic impact of climate obstruction. 
• Chapter 5: discusses an approach to strengthening information integrity in Australia. 
• Chapter 6: outlines inquiry participants' views and recommendations in relation to building trust, resilience and transparency in climate and energy related information. 
• Chapter 7: addresses inquiry participants' views and recommendations on the monitoring and regulation of digital platforms. 
• Chapter 8: details inquiry participants' views and recommendations in relation to renewable energy project planning and implementation processes. 
• Chapter 9: provides the committee's view and recommendations.