Newspaper Editorial Shift shows Climate Realism Breakthrough in the UK

An article in the Carbon Brief (CB), “UK newspaper editorial opposition to climate action overtakes support for first time,” documents a clear shift towards climate realism in the United Kingdom: for the first time since CB began tracking editorials, more UK newspaper editorials are expressing skepticism towards the climate alarmist narrative and questioning the wisdom of various policies imposed to fight climate change, than are endorsing climate disaster claims and restrictions on energy use. Whatever one thinks of CB’s framing, the underlying trend it reports is real—and it aligns with a broader, global rise in climate realism.

The figure below from CB clearly shows the shift.

Note that shift began in 2022, with the steepest drop in alarmist articles and the biggest increase in articles endorsing a more realistic assessment of climate change and climate policies beginning in 2024 with the crossover complete in 2025.

Internationally, The Heartland Institute’s expanding global footprint has played a visible role in that change. The formal launch of Heartland UK/Europe, described in “The Heartland Institute Solidifies Its Global Impact by Founding Heartland UK & Europe,” reflects growing demand across the United Kingdom and Europe for fact-based critiques of climate alarmism and policy overreach. Heartland UK/Europe’s leadership under Lois Perry has emphasized transparency, cost-benefit analysis, and the difference between measured climate trends and speculative worst-case modeling—messages that resonate with editors and commentators increasingly wary of net-zero orthodoxy.