Global science and media organizations to sign pledge prioritizing science-based climate change communications

U.S. and international scientific associations will join with high-profile media outlets to sign a pledge of cooperation aimed at ensuring climate change-related communications are scientifically accurate, accessible, and actionable. The signing will take place Tuesday, January 30, during a special Presidential Session (10:45 a.m. to noon Eastern) at the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in Baltimore, Maryland.

The "Global Climate Science-Media Action Pledge" was developed by AMS and EarthX. It affirms that climate change is real, dangerous, and already causing damage, that climate change is a top priority for the signatory organizations, and that the signatories will work together to support, disseminate, and communicate science-based information and solutions to all stakeholders, including the general public.

"Tackling the challenges of climate change requires participation across all of society, yet in today's information environment, it can be difficult to distinguish what claims are evidence-based," says AMS President Brad Colman.

"Scientific associations have the evidence and the ongoing research, but it's not enough for us to know. We need to work more closely with the media so that people everywhere not only get access to the information we have, but understand its value and limitations. We are heartened to see that nearly 30 globally leading professional societies and media organizations from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America have already committed to the pledge, and we expect to welcome additional signatories as this movement for science-based climate communications gains steam."

"In the face of unprecedented environmental challenges, media plays a pivotal role in informing the public and encouraging a collective responsibility towards a sustainable future," said Dan Russell, CEO of EarthxTV. "We're proud to join AMS and all the signatories on this pledge. When we talk about climate change, we've got to be spot-on with the science—it's how we help people understand what's at stake and what we can do about it."

Along with the signing of the pledge, the Presidential Session will feature speakers from the AMS, EarthX, NOAA, Accuweather, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), and the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) discussing solutions to address the gap between climate science and public knowledge (the AMS, EarthX, Accuweather, AGI, and RMetS are all among the signatories on the pledge).

The AMS and EarthX will also sign a bilateral partnership agreement with the aim of working closely together on weather and climate communications.