Facebook announced on Thursday, February 18, 2021 the roll out of its Climate Science Information Centre to sub-Saharan Africa, starting with South Africa and Nigeria, as part of its commitment to connecting people to accurate, expert advice and information about global developments that affect their lives.
The Centre, available in 16 countries from Thursday, aims to connect people on Facebook with resources from the world’s leading climate change organisations.
Modelled on the Facebook COVID-19 Information Centre – which has so far, directed more than two billion people to information from health authorities – the Climate Science Information Centre, according to the organisation, offers facts about climate change and actionable steps people can take in their everyday lives to combat climate change.
Along with expanding the centre, Facebook says it is improving it. The centre now includes a section that features facts that debunk common climate myths – including facts such as how the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere harms the earth’s plant life and polar bear populations are declining because of global warming.
To debunk the myths with current and specific facts, Facebook has brought in climate experts from the George Mason University, the Yale Programme on Climate Change Communication, and the University of Cambridge.
Kojo Boakye, Director of Public Policy, Africa, says: “We can only address climate change if we all work together on a global scale. We are taking important steps to reduce our emissions and arm our global community with science-based information to make informed decisions and tools to take action. We hope with these efforts that we can continue helping to inspire real action.”
Facebook will also be directing people to the UN Environment Programme when they search about climate change in regions where the Climate Science Information Centre isn’t yet available.
The Climate Centre can be accessed here.
