72% of UK heatwave stories missed climate link, analysis finds
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- ECIU analysis of ~2,500 heatwave articles across nine UK national dailies (June 22–28) found nearly 72% made no mention of climate change, global heating, or global warming, and fewer than 1 in 20 referenced 'net zero'
- Imperial College London research published the same day estimated ~2,700 people died from overheating in the UK in May–June, with roughly 1,100 of those deaths attributable to the extra heat driven by the climate crisis
- Financial Times topped the rankings, linking extreme heat to climate in 50 of 78 stories (64%), followed by the Guardian at roughly 49% (64 of 131); the Sun came last with just 6% of 69 heatwave stories mentioning climate
- Professor Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading said it is 'critical' that media tell the British public greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, have made heatwaves hotter than they would otherwise be
- Gareth Redmond-King, head of international at the ECIU, called the link between recent heatwaves and climate change 'indisputable,' adding that 'net zero is the medicine' if climate change is 'the illness'
- A Guardian spokesperson defended the paper's record, noting its 2019 style guide adopted 'climate emergency' and 'global heating' and that it was the first major global news organisation to ban fossil-fuel advertising
- An attribution study cited in the coverage found the extreme weather 'would not have been possible without human interference in the climate system'
Why it matters: Across nine major UK dailies, three out of four heatwave stories ran without a climate link during a week when Imperial College attributed roughly 1,100 deaths to climate-driven heat — meaning most readers got weather coverage without the scientific context experts say is essential to building public support for net-zero policy.
