As extreme weather intensifies and disinformation spreads, the government’s silence on climate change is undermining public understanding and action.

The US–Israel war on Iran and another oil crisis again highlights Australia’s need to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, electric transport and sustainable industrial processes, and to phase-out the coal and gas exports.

At the same time, anti-renewable-energy and climate change scepticism disinformation campaigns have made inroads in Australia. In the face of this climate disinformation barrage, silence from those who should be countering it constitutes an own goal.

As the Senate Select Committee inquiry on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy approaches its final report, what is the Australian Government’s response. Is it using its unparalleled media power to educate Australians about accelerating climate change? Did it utilise a summer of record-breaking climate extremes as a “teachable moment” to further that community engagement?

A new survey by the National Security College finds that: “Most Australians also believe the nation is underprepared, and that the government shares too little of what it knows about the threats the nation faces.”

Climate disinformation is recognised globally as a key impediment to climate change action. The response is to rebuild a system of accountability for climate information that can be trusted by governments and the broader community. Governments have an indispensable role to play in redeveloping best-practice climate research capacity, and as a public educator. In a complex........

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