Robi Maddison Tech 04.23.2022 00:Apr AM EDT

Twitter Bans Misleading Climate Change Denial Ads

Accprdomg to the report of Engadget, Twitter announced a ban on ads that promote climate change denial on Earth Day. According to its inappropriate content policy, deceptive advertising that defies scientific consensus on the issue will not be allowed on the site. Twitter said that "this approach is informed by authoritative sources, like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports."

(Photo : LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter published a blog on Earth day, April 22, regarding the company's acceleration of its climate commitments.

In 2021, the social media platform rolled out "hubs of credible, authoritative information across a range of key themes, like the science backing climate change, made available in the Explore tab, Search, and Trends."

In line with that, the company said that deceptive adverts on its platform that contradict scientific agreement on climate change will be forbidden. The company believes that climate denialism should not be monetized on Twitter, and that misleading advertisements should not detract from essential discussions about the climate crisis.

Twitter's Sustainability Efforts

The company announced plans in 2019 to achieve a carbon-neutral electricity source in all of its current data centers by the end of 2022. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are obtained from solar and wind power projects in the same geographic region where energy was consumed, and they cover 100% of Scope 2 emissions at these locations.

Since 2020, Twitter has improved its CDP score, earning a B for its comprehensive reporting on the company's sustainability actions.

Twitter said it was thrilled to join the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) in 2021. It plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically by 2030, paving the way for a net-zero future.

Twitter joined the EU climate pact earlier this year, pledging to make "ambitious" North Star and Pathway pledges in line with the Paris Agreement's objectives. The company stated that all of ourits EU leased activities are committed to shifting to renewable electricity.

Twitter's Partner in the Sustainability Efforts

The following are some organizations that Twitter is partnering to promote environmental conservation and sustainability:

Earth Day Network
United Nations (UN) Environment Programme
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
UN Development Programme
Greenpeace
Voice for the Planet
Let Me Breathe
WWF
350.org
FridaysForFuture
We Don't Have Time
Climate Reality Project
and others

Climate Conversations in Twitter

The company said that since 2021, the number of people talking about sustainability has increased by more than 150%. The amount of time spent talking about waste reduction has increased by more than 100%, while the amount of time spent talking about decarbonization has increased by more than 50%.

Twitter Is Not the Only Company Who Is Concerned About Climate Change

The Verge reported that in October 2021, Google announced that it will no longer allow advertising that promotes climate denial or monetize climate falsehood. In addition, despite its policy on flagging such content, Facebook has been chastised for neglecting to flag climate misinformation.