GreenDEMO partners address local democracy challenges in the age of disinformation
Climate mis- and disinformation are among the most pressing challenges for democratic governance today. False narratives erode public trust, delay urgent climate action, and polarise communities. Local governments are on the frontline - dealing with protests, hostile debates, online harassment, and declining citizen trust.
On the International Day of Democracy (15 September), GreenDEMO project partner ICLEI Europe hosted the webinar “Scroll, Share, Believe? Local democracy challenges in the age of fake news”.
Stefano Cisternino (ICLEI Europe) provided a framing input, outlining how disinformation thrives in today’s media environment and what this means for municipalities striving to keep citizens informed and engaged.
City perspectives illustrated these challenges in practice:
- Cascais Ambiente (EMAC) shared strategies to strengthen community resilience and address disinformation through local engagement.
- GreenDEMO Demo City Mannheim, represented by Dr. Claudia Mauser, presented how the city is tackling fake news through communication and awareness-raising. Past initiatives such as the exhibition “Facts Against Climate Fakes” (2022) made digital disinformation visible in analogue form, and Mannheim is now further expanding these efforts to reinforce transparency and citizen trust.
Speakers underlined that while municipalities must avoid creating hostile debate spaces, they cannot ignore false narratives. Instead, they are uniquely positioned to counter disinformation, promote transparency, and ensure citizen participation remains a cornerstone of democratic governance.
For GreenDEMO, these lessons directly connect to the project’s mission: supporting cities in strengthening communication capacity, tackling disinformation, and building the trust needed to lead fair and effective green transitions.
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