Misinformation Plagues 1 in 5 Energy Transition Stories in LatAm

One in five media stories on the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean contains misinformation, according to a new study by Climate Tracker. The report, Gaslighting: Misinformation About the Energy Transition in Latin America and the Caribbean, analyzed 1,487 articles published between June 2023 and May 2024 across 32 media outlets in eight countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, and Suriname.

Researchers found 359 misleading claims across 292 articles. Of these, 96% of them echoed delayist narratives: messaging that does not outright deny climate change but works to stall action, promotes questionable tech solutions, or casts doubt on the viability of renewable energy. 

One of the most common themes was the portrayal of fossil fuels, especially natural gas, as “transitional energies.” This framing, present in seven of the eight countries studied, helps justify continued fossil fuel investments under the banner of energy security and economic growth, the report argues.

“Misinformation does not emerge in a vacuum,” reads the report’s conclusion. “Although many media outlets and journalists may reproduce misinformation without ill intent, the ties of interest between various governments and the persistent, misleading influence of the fossil fuel industry, organized transnationally, point to a deliberate strategy to shape the discussion around the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The main contributors to disinformation were fossil fuel companies (31%), government actors (25%), and experts (23%). Notable individual cases include Petrobras, Shell, ExxonMobil, YPF, Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves, and former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

Ecuador recorded the highest share of misleading content, with 35% of the analyzed articles containing misinformation. It was followed closely by Guyana (30%), Brazil (28%) and Argentina (27%). In contrast, Mexico ranked second to last with 13%, just above Suriname (4%). Misinformation mostly circulated through news articles (67%) and opinion columns (24%), with only one in 10 pieces including fact-checking, context, or scientific evidence.

In Mexico, the study examined 333 articles from four outlets: Milenio and El Universal as outlets with national reach, Aristegui Noticias for digital media, and El Financiero for industry specific coverage. Out of these, only 42 had misinformation with 57% having delayist narratives and 32% having misleading content. The main theme driving misinformation was gas as a transition fuel, present in 68% of the pieces. The main sources of misinformation included the industry, with just under half of the articles, and the government with one fourth. 

In Mexico, and in the region, AMLO was one of the most prominent individual drivers of misinformation, being the source of misleading information in 10 articles. Among his claims were that the energy transition would take at least 30 years, oil being a pillar of national sovereignty, and portraying PEMEX as a vehicle to eventually fund renewables, despite the absence of concrete plans. The former president used words such as “necessary,” “reliable,” “safe,” “clean,” and “friendly” to describe fossil fuels, especially gas. 

“In Mexico, the research takes on special relevance in a context of political transition,” reads the report. “The administration of Claudia Sheinbaum, who has a scientific background and experience in energy issues, marks a contrast with former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s oil nationalism.”