LONDON, April 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Widespread mistrust of science and disputes over basic facts, tied to growing political polarisation and disinformation campaigns, are undermining efforts to tackle climate change globally, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry warned.
During a virtual summit organised by the Nobel Foundation and major science academies this week, Kerry said building greater public understanding and agreement on the world's "existential" challenges was crucial to addressing them.
"We have to establish a baseline of truth or we can't build consensus in a democracy," he said.
"Paid-for denial" about climate change by big polluters and political disregard by some governments of scientific warnings about COVID-19 risks are "costing us enormously", he added.
Kerry said achieving climate goals fast enough amounted to "a moonshot on steroids" - and called on scientists to help communicate to the public the urgent need for swift action.
"Scientists want to avoid the fray - but we are in a war against denial," he said. "I think we have to fight back, and I think scientists have to be at the front of that fight."
John Kerry asks scientists to lead fight against climate denialhttps://news.trust.org/item/20210427110223-x3v9w