QUT DMRC Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy

Dear Committee members, The QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC), one of the top Australian centres for media and communication research, is pleased to make this submission in the service of this important inquiry into Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy. The DMRC conducts world-leading communication, media, and law research for a flourishing digital society. Our centre incorporates the QUT node of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making & Society (ADM+S) and, more recently, the GenAI Lab. The DMRC participates in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, headquartered in the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education, and Social Justice. As such, we have a broad range of knowledge and skills dedicated to researching problematic information (misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, conspiracy theories, propaganda—see an Explainer attached). We develop and deploy computational methods to study the dynamics of contemporary information spaces; we have experts studying problematic information and its drivers across a range of topics and country contexts; researchers specialising in media and information literacy; and we have deep subject matter knowledge of Australian and international politics, and— specifically—climate, energy, and environment-related issues. In this submission, we step the Committee through the current state of knowledge from our domestic and international colleagues, and then drill down to provide you with some tangible examples from our recent research about what we are seeing, how these information tactics are working, and— importantly—who is driving them and in collaboration with whom. As a recent synthesis report from the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) about climate information integrity found that, to address this complex and many-sided problem, we need to focus on regulation; litigation (e.g., against greenwashing and astroturfing); education; and establishing counterpublics, or ‘coalitions of the willing’, to push back against the powerful vested interests obstructing and delaying climate action. In essence: While research efforts to-date are certainly useful and enlightening, there is much more work that needs to be done to mitigate the crisis of information integrity around the pivotal issues of climate change and energy. We need to get this right now: any delays to a response that is consistent with the scientific consensus poses serious societal consequences. We list our top four recommendations below, and refer you to our detailed responses to the Terms of Reference for a more in-depth analysis, context, and further ideas. We would be delighted to provide the Committee with any further information to support the objectives of this inquiry. Our top four recommendations are: 1. Support better observability: We need to understand the extent of the problem and its drivers to best respond. We need to know what is being said, by whom, to whom, where, and to what effect. To that end, we must mandate meaningful, equitable data-sharing obligations on platforms, ensuring accredited researchers and civil society have ongoing access to high-quality TEQSA Provider ID PRV12079 Australian University | CRICOS 00213J Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy Submission 60 data for independent monitoring to empower timely interventions. 2. Develop fit-for-purpose regulation: Reframe regulatory efforts around transparency and accountability rather than content moderation, drawing upon and refining elements of the 2023 Misinformation Bill. Engage with subject matter experts to develop fit-for-purpose legislation that is aligned with international best practice (e.g., EU Digital Services Act) by focusing on systemic risks and platform accountability. 3. Educate widely: Invest in high quality media literacy education and the development of worldclass programs, resources, and awareness-raising campaigns for lifelong learning, from school students, to adults, and media industries. 4. Harness a coordinated and well-resourced response: Support the connection of ‘coalitions of the willing’ to combat the very aligned and effective strategies of the climate change counter movement. This includes a national commitment and strategy to support proactive and audience-appropriate communication, along with genuine engagement with communities and other key stakeholders to fill damaging information vacuums. Techniques like ‘pre-bunking’ should be used to address likely problematic information before it happens.