The event “Climate – Responding to Misinformation, Exploring New Narratives” will take place on the Pierre and Marie Curie Campus on Tuesday 2 June 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m.

The programme will feature panel discussions, workshops and opportunities for exchange around two key themes at the intersection of climate science, information and society. The event will also provide a space for intergenerational dialogue.

The day will be organised in two parts.

Philosopher Pierre Charbonnier (CNRS/Sciences PO) will open the discussions with his reflections on the historical and contemporary relationships between science, visions of society, and the power dynamics that shape them. The morning will be devoted to developing a better understanding of the challenges posed by misinformation, as well as the approaches that can help strengthen critical thinking and judgement, particularly when dealing with false or misleading information.

Climate change is one of the most prominent areas affected by misinformation, ranging from scientific denial to questioning the policy tools needed to address it.

The first panel discussion, chaired by Daniel Peyronel (ICOM-IPSL), will offer insights into how misinformation works and the ways of responding to it. Speakers include Dominique Costagliola (epidemiology and biostatistics researcher, INSERM), Sacha Altay (psychology researcher, University of Zurich), Thibaud Boncourt (political science researcher, Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University) and Célia Gautier (founder and director of Expertises Climat).

As climate-sceptic narratives continue to evolve, several new questions are emerging:

• “How should we respond to these renewed forms of misinformation?”
• “Why does false information tend to spread more rapidly during extreme weather events?”
• “What room is there for journalists and scientists to innovate and adapt the way they communicate?”

The IPSL “young engaged scholars” group will then lead an interactive session exploring innovative approaches grounded in scientific expertise and journalism, with Charles Terroille, a member of Science Feedback.

The afternoon will turn to the question of new narratives.

Ted Shepherd (climate scientist, University of Reading) will share his experience and reflections on co-developing narrative frameworks for more effective and meaningful climate communication.

This will be followed by a panel discussion and workshop dedicated to the collective development of such narrative frameworks:

• “How can scientific information be more accessible and compelling, from everyday life through to public decision-making?”
• “Can engagement with climate issues be strengthened through the development of new narratives?”
• “How can complex scientific issues become more human and relatable?”

Speakers include Éric Vidalenc (Deputy Regional Director, ADEME Hauts-de-France), Yunne-Jay Shin (marine biology researcher, IRD), Anne-Cécile Bras (environment journalist, RFI) and Lucie Marinier (sociologist, CNAM).

Free admission, registration required.

📝 Registration form.

A detailed programme will be available shortly.

Further information

• The IPSL “Climate and Society” Center is a hub for scientific expertise and education, dedicated to climate science and its interaction with society. Discover the “Climate and Society” Center.
• Key takeaways from the launch day of the Center, held on 10 April 2025.

• Watch the discussion between Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Head of the IPSL Centre for Climate and Society, member of the High Council on Climate and co-chair of Working Group I of the IPCC from 2015 to 2023, and Aglaé Jézéquel, climate scientist at the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD-IPSL) and specialist in extreme events, held during IPSL’s 30th anniversary celebrations. At the heart of the debate: the exploration of new narratives and imaginaries around climate change.

Resources

Misinformation

• Inserm report, published on 16 December 2024: Health misinformation: can we fight it?
• “Academic freedom as a category of practice” by Thibaut Boncourt (Zilsel, 2024).
• Latest reports from the Quota Climat association on the state of climate misinformation in the French media landscape.
• Trust is key: Determinants of false beliefs about climate change in eight countries (Sacha Altay, Waqas Ejaz & al., New Media & Society, 2024).

New narratives

• The Importance of Accounting for Stakeholder Values, Power Relationships and Language in Constructing Relevant and Trustworthy Climate Information (co-authored by Theodore G. Shepherd, published in Earth’s Future, January 2026).
• Transition futures : scenarios from ADEME (2024).
• Participatory downscaling of global SSP–RCP scenarios to local fisheries social–ecological systems (co-authored by Yunne-Jay Shin, published in Sustainability Science, March 2025).
• The book “Museum and Ecology: Missions, Commitments and Practices”, edited by Lucie Marinier, Aude Porcedda and Hélène Vassal (2026).
• The radio show « C’est pas du vent » on Radio France Internationale, presented by Anne-Cécile Bras.