For better or worse, the ubiquitousness of digital media continues to greatly influence public perception. Most mainstream and alternative news networks, journalists, and political leaders have already established their presence on social media platforms. Increasingly, people now rely on giant social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) as their primary source of news and information.
In an environmental context, platforms like X have become key instruments in facilitating climate awareness and activism by enabling credible sources to share and amplify facts and new developments. This has also created a free space for discussion on issues of climate action and policy. Policymakers can benefit from gauging public opinion via social media.
Conversely, the predominance of digital media has also resulted in a marked increase in divisive narratives about climate change. A 2022 study on polarisation in online environmental discourse investigated this intersection of political polarisation and climate change, using X data from 2014 to 2021 to study the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP). It revealed a significant increase in polarisation during COP26, following relatively low levels in the previous five years. The study also demonstrated how this increase is driven by increasing right-wing activity, a fourfold increase since COP21 when compared to pro-climate groups.
