Polestar puts spotlight on climate disinformation and misinformation ahead of COP28

23 November 2023

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – 23 November 2023. Polestar has launched the Polestar Truth Bot, a purpose-built bot on X (formerly Twitter), created to help debunk the most common inaccuracies relating to climate change within the automotive industry.

The initiative was launched in light of a deteriorating environment when it comes to climate mis- and disinformation on social media platforms. Scientists have raised the alarm about an increase in “climate denier bots”¹, the United Nations has warned that mis- and disinformation are “delaying urgent action to ensure a liveable future for the planet”², and a report by Climate Action Against Disinformation reveals that X ranked lowest out of the five major social media platforms for actions to limit the spread of misinformation³.

Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, comments: “The deliberate misuse of climate data is incredibly damaging. Particularly now, in the lead up to COP28, the conversation is muddied between fact and fiction.

“We believe that the opposite – a truthful use of scientific data – can be a powerful tool to help navigate climate action, and we encourage everyone to join us in spreading this on social platforms.”

Live from 23 November to 6 December in the lead up to and during COP28, the Polestar Truth Bot will be responding to climate myths on X using factual data. This includes the recent IPCC ‘Impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C’ special report, and the IEA’s ‘The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions’ report.

Since 2020, Polestar has shared Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for all its models in production, including detailed reporting on emissions and climate impact, as well as information on material sourcing and supply chain traceability. Earlier in 2023, alongside Rivian, Polestar initiated the Pathway report from Kearney, which sees a joint effort towards collective climate action within the automotive industry. A discussion panel, called the Global Automotive Stocktake, to be held by Polestar on 6 December 2023, will be another contribution to the transparency debate during COP28.