Climate science scepticism disappearing from UK newspapers

A recent analysis from the ECIU reveals that scepticism towards climate science has nearly vanished from British newspaper opinion pages over the past decade. In 2013/14, 20% of opinion pieces expressed doubts about climate science, a figure that has plummeted to just 5% in 2023/24.

The study, conducted by academics including Simon Cocks from the University of Oxford and Dr James Painter from the Reuters Institute, also highlighted a significant decline in ‘process scepticism,’ which critiques scientific models and methods. This type of scepticism dropped from 20% to 1% in the same period.

Conversely, ‘response scepticism,’ which questions climate change policies, saw a slight increase from 23% to 24%. This shift reflects a change in focus; while previous critiques targeted specific technologies, such as wind farms, the current discourse primarily challenges broader net zero policies.

Response scepticism, sometimes also known as ‘climate obstructionism’, appears to have shifted as real-world evidence has proven previous positions wrong. For example, despite claims in 2013/14 that wind energy is inefficient or unreliable, the UK has built a world-leading wind industry; in 2023, wind power contributed 29.4% of the UK’s total electricity generation. Recent government auctions indicate that onshore wind is now cheaper than average electricity prices, and offshore wind costs are also competitive.

The analysis, commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), examines opinion articles from 2013/14 and 2023/24. Dr James Painter noted that the arguments against climate action have evolved:

“Our findings are consistent with other research suggesting that the emphasis of the arguments of those not wanting to take climate action has shifted in the media in many parts of the world.  They also support the findings of other researchers who identify the high costs of taking action as the most common anti-action argument.

“Another characteristic is the relative absence, in the right-leaning media, of arguments outlining the costs of not taking action to reduce emissions or the co-benefits of taking action.”

Richard Black, founding director of ECIU, adds that the decline in evidence and process scepticism reflects the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.

“The changes this study highlights are testament to the enduring value of evidence, even in these times when so much public discourse is determinedly evidence-free. Evidence- and process-scepticism have disappeared from British newspaper pages basically because they’ve convincingly been proven wrong, and it’s just not tenable for any editor concerned about credibility to keep commissioning that stuff.”

The researchers, Simon Cocks, James Painter and Dan Hunt examined 303 opinion pieces and editorials published in the UK’s main national newspapers, online and/or in print, from August 2013 to September 2014, and from August 2023 to September 2024. The full report is available here