Democracy demands a public mandate, translating our common will into policies that can benefit the whole. This is especially true for the climate crisis, as we face a ‘brief and rapidly closing window’ (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to act for a livable future. Despite the urgency and gravity of this moment, public discourse on the issue is increasingly fragmented, partisan, and unmoored from science. Climate action has become a lightning rod for conspiracism and mistrust of institutions and is being weaponized to deepen social divisions. In this session Jennie King asks: How did we get here? Who stands to benefit? And, above all, how can we chart a pathway forward?

Jennie King is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Centre for Climate and Security and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in London. Since 2019, she has led efforts to translate digital research around disinformation, hate speech, and extremism into frontline programming and response. Through ISD, she co-founded Climate Action Against Disinformation, a coalition of over one hundred entities working to identify, analyze, and counter this threat worldwide. Jennie has spearheaded investigations on climate denialism and ‘discourses of delay’ in contexts including Australia, Canada, Central Europe, Germany, South Africa, the US, and UK, and co-authored flagship reports such as ‘“Climate Lockdown” and the Culture Wars: How COVID-19 Sparked a New Narrative Against Climate Action’ and ‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’ Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Jennie also designed and formerly ran the COP Intelligence Units, producing real-time monitoring of mis- and dis-information around the annual summit. She has testified before the European Parliament and regularly advises multilateral bodies and national governments, including the EU, United Nations, NATO, and WHO. Her writing and analysis are profiled extensively across broadcast and print media including CNN, NPR, and the BBC, as well as the Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, El Mundo, Financial Times, Euronews, and Yomiuri Shimbun. Jennie holds a BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic and Spanish) from Cambridge University. Her previous roles include Assistant Country Director Egypt, Co-Director Hungary, and Programme Lead Central Europe for the British Council.