Australia’s climate and energy wars are at the forefront of the federal election campaign as the major parties outline vastly different plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle soaring power prices.

Meanwhile, misinformation about climate change has permeated public debate during the campaign, feeding false and misleading claims about renewable energy, gas and global warming.

This is a dangerous situation. In Australia and globally, rampant misinformation has for decades slowed climate action – creating doubt, hindering decision-making and undermining public support for solutions.

Here, we explain the history of climate misinformation in Australia and identify three prominent campaigns operating now. We also outline how Australians can protect themselves from misinformation as they head to the polls.

Misinformation is defined as false information spread unintentionally. It is distinct from disinformation, which is deliberately created to mislead.

However, proving intent to mislead can be challenging. So, the term misinformation is often used as a general term to describe misleading content, while the term disinformation is reserved for cases where intent is proven.

Disinformation is typically part of a coordinated campaign to influence public opinion. Such campaigns can be run by corporate interests, political groups, lobbying organisations or individuals.

Once released, these false narratives may be picked up by others, who pass them on and create misinformation.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Australia’s emissions-reduction targets were among the most ambitious in the world.

At the time, about 60 companies were responsible for one-third of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The government’s plan included measures to ensure these companies remained competitive while reducing their climate impact.

Despite this, Australia’s........

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