Telegraph climate coverage raises questions about the right’s shifting stance on net zero

A series of Telegraph articles on climate change has prompted debate over whether the paper, and the Conservative right more broadly, is changing its stance on net zero.

The discussion was triggered after a long Telegraph report argued that warming in the UK is creating a growing threat to homes, nature and food security, in the context of recent wildfires in Suffolk. The article’s conclusions were not surprising, but its appearance in a newspaper long associated with skepticism about green policy drew attention.

The reaction was sharpened by two earlier Telegraph pieces. One, by columnist Tim Stanley, argued that climate change is real and that the right needs to take it seriously. Another, by world economy editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, said the costs of climate change could not be ignored and criticized Kemi Badenoch for what he called an “abominable political moment to flirt with climate nihilism”.

Badenoch responded directly, saying she opposed the political programme of reaching net zero by 2050 rather than denying the climate crisis. The Sunday Telegraph editor Allister Heath, also known for his opposition to green policies, wrote that “the war against global warming has been lost” and said Britain must adapt.

The sequence of articles has led some climate experts to ask whether the Telegraph’s view is shifting, especially after its takeover by Axel Springer, whose owner, Mathias Döpfner, has said conflicting things about climate change. Leo Hickman of Carbon Brief said the paper’s long history of hosting climate-sceptic commentary now looks badly misjudged.

Telegraph insiders told the article that the coverage was not the result of an internal order to change tone. One said editor Chris Evans is simply an old-school Fleet Street editor who likes stories that create noise.

The article says many readers see the pieces by Stanley and Evans-Pritchard as reflecting a Conservative Party split now visible in the paper’s pages. Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute said the right in Britain is beginning to resemble the United States, where the loudest climate voices dominate. Sam Hall of the Conservative Environment Network welcomed the debate among Conservatives.

Others argue there has been no real shift in the Telegraph’s overall approach, pointing to recent stories linking rewilding, the emptying countryside and wildfires. The paper’s editorial column noted the Stanley and Evans-Pritchard pieces, but ultimately backed Badenoch’s position.

Richard Wilson of Reliable Media said earlier attempts by newspapers to reposition themselves on climate issues were not sustained. Hickman added that the week ended with editors giving Badenoch the final word, which he said showed continued net zero skepticism. The Telegraph was approached for comment.