The Telegraph, a leading rightwing newspaper known for its climate scepticism, has published a series of articles that have raised eyebrows among readers and experts, prompting a direct response from Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch.
The flurry of pieces began with a news report on the impact of British wildfires, which acknowledged that "nobody can deny that the UK is getting warmer and high temperatures are becoming a clear threat to homes, nature and food security." The article's conclusions were unsurprising given the UK's changing climate, but its appearance in the Telegraph was notable.
Notable Columns and Reactions
Independent MP Rosie Duffield praised the analysis, noting it came from an outlet "hardly known for their raging lefty/net zero/climate change agenda." The essay followed two other significant climate pieces: one by columnist Tim Stanley headlined "Climate change is real – and the right needs to get serious about it," and another by world economy editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, who accused Badenoch of choosing "an abominable political moment to flirt with climate nihilism."
Evans-Pritchard wrote: "There comes a point when you have to conclude that the Tories have gone Trumpian on the existential issue of our time." Badenoch felt compelled to respond, insisting she opposed the "political programme" of achieving net zero by 2050, not the climate crisis itself.
New Ownership and Internal Dynamics
The articles come as the Telegraph is under new ownership, having been bought by German media powerhouse Axel Springer, which plans to make the paper a global player on the centre right. However, insiders say the pieces did not stem from an internal order to shift tone, with editor Chris Evans described as "an old-school Fleet Street editor – he likes whatever is causing noise."
Some experts see the pieces as reflecting a Conservative party schism, with centre-right voices speaking up after Badenoch's decision to ban candidates who did not follow the party line on net zero. Bob Ward of the LSE's Grantham Research Institute noted parallels with the US, where "a noisy and very vocal group on the right of the right wing have been dominating the discussion about climate."
Mixed Signals and Skepticism
Pro-green Tories have welcomed the debate, with Sam Hall of the Conservative Environment Network saying, "It has been great to see such an active debate on the right about the best approach." However, some climate coverage monitors argue there has been no real shift in the Telegraph's approach, pointing to recent stories linking rewilding to wildfires and the paper's editorial ultimately backing Badenoch's stance.
Richard Wilson of the Reliable Media campaign group said: "For a credible 'conversion' at the Telegraph, I think we'd need to see an end to the wider pattern." Leo Hickman of Carbon Brief added: "The week ended with editors giving the final word to Kemi Badenoch, who used it to simply double down on her own net zero scepticism. What on earth must the Telegraph's readers – and new owner – make of this vertiginous rollercoaster of denial?"
