Spain’s environment minister has written to prosecutors to warn of “an alarming increase” in hate speech and social media attacks directed against climate science communicators, meteorologists and researchers.
In a letter sent to hate crimes prosecutors on Wednesday, Sara Aagesen said a number of recent reports examined by the ministry had detected a “significant increase” in the hostile language that climate experts are subjected to on digital platforms.
The minister said one study had found that 17.6% of those hostile messages posted on the social media network X included “hate speech, personal attacks and denigration directed at professionals who work to share correct and verified scientific information”.
Aagesen, who is also one of Spain’s three deputy prime ministers, said the research revealed “a surge in the intensity, frequency and violence of the attacks, which affect both meteorologists and other scientific communication professionals”.
Aagesen said she was drawing the matter to prosecutors’ attention because of the “socially important role that these professionals play in the fight against climate disinformation”.
One study into the hate speech directed at Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet, found that such attacks affected public perceptions of meteorology and had a direct impact on scientific work.
“Social pressure and smear campaigns can discourage scientists from interacting with the public or even communicating their research openly,” said the researchers.
“This chilling effect can limit the advance of scientific knowledge and restrict public access to accurate and high‐quality information. In addition, the spread of conspiracy theories about climate control and weather manipulation directly affects the perception of the current climate alert. Denial that extreme weather events are a result of global warming finds support in these theories, undermining global efforts to mitigate and respond to climate change.”
Another study from 2024 found that climate emergency denialism was especially prevalent on X, with denialism identified in 49.1% of posts and climate-related hate speech in 17.6% of posts.
Rubén del Campo, a spokesperson for Aemet, told El País: “Although I know that my job means I get a lot of exposure, when you see messages attacking you and using your photo – often for made-up stuff you’ve never said – you feel bad.”
At the end of her letter, Aagesen told prosecutors that the ministry was prepared to “help them in any way they may deem appropriate”.
X was approached for comment.
