Spain could begin cracking down on online abuse targeted at climate scientists after finding an “alarming” increase in hate speech.
Spain has called the “fight against disinformation” a top priority after witnessing a surge in hate speech directed at climate scientists.
Environment minister Sara Aagesen says the ministry has reviewed several studies that found an “alarming” increase in the intensity, frequency and violence of attacks affecting meteorologists, communicators and journalists that specialise in climate matters.
One of the studies shows that 17.6 per cent of hostile messages posted on X (formerly Twitter) included “hate speech, personal attacks and denigration” targeting scientists sharing “correct and verified information”.
Aagesen has now written to the Prosecutor’s Office to warn of the trend, which experts warn could erode public understanding of the climate crisis, stating she will “help them in any way they may deem appropriate”.
Climate scientists face a barrage of abuse
Of course, online abuse towards climate scientists is no new phenomenon. A 2025 study published in Social Inclusion examined half a million messages posted on X between 31 December 2021 and 19 April 2023 that mentioned AEMET, Spain’s state meteorological agency.
Using hate speech detection algorithms and text mining techniques, it found that a quarter of the messages sampled displayed “some degrees of hostility” towards AEMET, its staff, and its scientific work.
“A considerable amount of hate speech was expressed through derogatory comments and insults aimed at meteorologists, which is indicative of a wider trend of anti-intellectualism and scepticism of scientific expertise,” the study states.
Researchers warned that the spread of conspiracy theories, particularly those related to geoengineering and chemtrails, was directly linked with abuse towards climate scientists.
“In the field of health, science and climate change, these disinformation campaigns on social networks go hand in hand with the generation of hate speech aimed at attacking the social actors involved,” the study adds.
“This discredits their discourse, undermines the credibility of their research and influences the adoption of measures that entail economic or social change.”
Climate scientists have had enough
Back in 2022, climate scientists across Europe were invited to take part in an online survey hosted by YouGov. Of the 468 responses, a staggering 183 said that they have experienced online harassment or abuse that has impacted their health, work, or communication style.
According to Global Witness, most recipients of abuse have had their credibility (81 per cent) or work (91 per cent) attacked. For those scientists who identified as female, personal characteristics were also common targets.
In fact, their sex or gender was targeted “a great deal” or a “fair amount” for 34 per cent of affected women and only 3 per cent of affected men.
This rampant abuse is having a stark impact on climate scientists’ well-being, with more than a fifth reporting having experienced depression. Eight per cent said they had also received death threats.
“I’ve seen my fair share of online harassment,” says Dr Shouro Dasgupta, an environmental economist at the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change.
“Any time I do media, there is some harassment on X and on Facebook. And it often comes from, of course, the usual suspects – the climate deniers, the army of bots, unpleasant people in general.”
Dr Dasgupta has experienced racist abuse through private messages, which she says is why many climate experts have their social media profiles locked.
