For the first time in 15 years: the British press rejects climate policy more than it supports

Carbon Brief @carbonbrief analyzes the editorials of major British newspapers since 2011, which represent the official editorial voice. In 2025 a groundbreaking result was published:

- 98 editorials were against climate measures, all in right‑leaning newspapers (The Sun, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Times, Express)

- 46 editorials supported more climate action, almost all in The Guardian and Financial Times

- In the right‑wing press, 81 % of editorials on the topic rejected climate policy

- The opposition reached a record for the fourth year in a row

What’s interesting is what the debate is about:

▪️ none of the critical editorials questioned climate science; they only criticized the solutions

▪️ most of them did not use the word “climate”, but “net zero”

▪️ 87 % argued on economic grounds, i.e., prices and costs

▪️ The target of 112 editorials was Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, of which 51 appeared only in The Sun newspaper

For technologies, for the first time since 2014, there were more critical than supportive pieces about renewable energy. Nuclear, on the contrary, received exclusively support (20 editorials, none against).

Politics is behind it. The Conservatives have deviated from the net‑zero 2050 target they themselves legislated, and Reform UK promises to scrap it entirely.

Source: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-newspaper-editorial-opposition-to-climate-action-overtakes-support-for-first-time