Nurses urge Ottawa to join global initiative against climate disinformation to protect Canadians' health

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is joining physicians, scientists and civil society leaders in calling on the federal government to sign the Global Initiative on Information Integrity on Climate Change (GIIICC) – a United Nations-led effort to combat climate disinformation worldwide.

RNAO is among 15 organizations that signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and key ministers urging Canada to act. The letter warns that falsehoods spread online during wildfires, floods and heatwaves undermine emergency response, public health and public trust – putting lives at risk.

The call is backed by new polling from the Media Ecosystem Observatory at McGill University, showing that 86 per cent of Canadians want government action to curb online disinformation during extreme weather events and 82 per cent support Canada joining global information-integrity initiatives.

"Nurses see firsthand how misinformation harms people," says NP Lhamo Dolkar, RNAO president. "Information integrity is a public-health imperative. People inundated with false narratives circulated during climate emergencies might ignore health warnings or evacuation orders. The real-world consequences: preventable illness and death."

Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO's CEO, adds: "Disinformation poisons the information ecosystem the same way toxins poison our air and water. Profit-driven deception erodes trust in science, delays urgent climate action and endangers lives. Much of this disinformation is intentional – driven by fossil fuel and related industries seeking to block climate action with the same deceptive practices long used by tobacco companies. Canada must join this global initiative to help ensure that evidence-based policy guides a collective response to the climate emergency."

RNAO emphasizes that governments must also regulate social media platforms, so they are not profiting from the spread of disinformation – and, by extension, from the poor health and deaths that result. "Protecting the integrity of information means holding these platforms accountable," says Grinspun. "No one should profit from endangering lives."

GIIICC – launched by UNESCO – aims to help governments identify and counter organized disinformation campaigns, safeguard journalists and researchers, and promote public access to accurate, science-based information. Several countries including the United Kingdom, France and Spain have already joined.

"Canadians have a right to reliable information when their health and safety are at stake," says Dolkar. "We urge the federal government to join the Global Initiative now – because fighting misinformation is part of fighting the climate crisis."

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. This year marks our 100^th anniversary. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

For more information, please contact: Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [email protected]