Russia and China have leveraged the 21st-century media landscape, including but not limited to PRC and Russian state-affiliated media outlets, to expose the global public to their strategic narratives, whether it is fostering anti-NATO sentiment or portraying themselves as climate champions. To safeguard the international information space in NATO nations and beyond, it is crucial to research, map, compare, and expose the climate and environment related narratives propagated by PRC and Russian media. By understanding how these narratives are constructed and disseminated, we can better counter their influence and foster a more informed public.
This report aims to:
1. identify Russian and Chinese climate narratives;
2. conduct an in-depth study of the circumstances, functions, effectiveness, and reasons for these narratives;
3. detect similarities and investigate potential coordination based on similar goals and objectives by both countries;
4. develop suggestions for counteracting these strategies.
The report draws on a combination of qualitative research methods to gather comprehensive data on the climate narratives of Russia and the PRC. This includes analysing media reports, official government statements, academic papers, and expert opinions in Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and English. Arguably, establishing the efficiency of a particular narrative would require societal research – such as surveys and focus groups – to measure its prevalence and impact among target populations. However, since this report does not include societal research, the efficiency is estimated based on the authors’ previous experience.”
