A study by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit examined nearly 2,500 articles about a heatwave in June that saw temperatures exceed 37 degrees Celsius, a record for that time of year. The analysis found that approximately 72% of articles published across nine major UK national daily newspapers failed to reference global heating or climate change. Additionally, fewer than 5% of heatwave-related coverage mentioned “net zero” or government climate policies.
Research from Imperial College London published on Monday indicated that approximately 2,700 deaths from overheating occurred in the UK during May and June, with roughly 1,100 of those attributable to additional heat created by human-caused climate change. Scientists noted that the extreme weather patterns would not have been possible without human activities, particularly fossil fuel consumption and intensified agriculture.
The ECIU examined articles from nine outlets—the Express, Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Mail, Mirror, Sun, Telegraph, and Times—covering a one-week period from June 22 to June 28. The Financial Times performed best, with approximately 67% of its 78 heatwave articles mentioning climate connections, followed by the Guardian at roughly 49% of 131 articles. The Independent published the most coverage with 783 articles, of which 39% referenced climate. Other outlets showed significantly lower rates: the Mail at approximately 20%, the Express at roughly 12%, the Mirror at 9%, and the Sun at 6%.
Professors and climate researchers emphasized the importance of media clearly connecting extreme weather events to climate change. The Guardian responded to the analysis, noting its editorial commitment to climate coverage and its distinction as the first major global news organization to ban fossil-fuel advertising and divest from fossil fuels.
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