In a new study published in Nature Climate Change, researchers point to increased polarization around climate change on social media and discover a spike in online climate sceptic tweets fuelled by growing “right-wing activity”. The study was carried out in participation with CMCC@Ca’Foscari, the strategic partnership between CMCC Foundation and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. 

According to new research published in the Nature Climate Change journal, climate scepticism is growing four times as fast as pro-climate content on Twitter.

In an analysis of tweets spanning the period 2014 to 2021 during the annual Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC, researchers found that tweets by climate change sceptics were shared 16 times more during COP26 than COP21. The study’s authors found that this increase in climate sceptic tweets online was fuelled by growing “right-wing activity” opposing climate action.

The study Growing polarization around climate change on social media demonstrated that overall, polarisation on Twitter in relation to the climate was low during COP21 until COP26 and identified 2019 as a key year that climate scepticism grew on Twitter. Researchers say that a possible reason for the increase in recent years could be due to a backlash against climate activist groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, taking action to draw attention to the crisis.

“The study of polarization in social media is critical to shape constructive narratives around climate change and to build momentum for science-informed action” affirms Francesca Larosa, among the authors of the study and a researcher at the CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Ca’Foscari University of Venice and Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London.

The authors say that groups that oppose climate action are using accusations of hypocrisy as a way to discredit climate summits and delay climate action.

However, they also found that both climate sceptics and pro-climate groups shared criticism of perceived hypocrisy on Twitter, particularly around the use of private jets. And previous research has shown that this type of content is more likely to go viral online.

Andrea Baronchelli, who coordinated the study, Professor of Complexity Sciences in the School of Science and Technology at the City University of London, and Token Economy Lead at The Alan Turing Institute, said “the significant increase in climate scepticism online is really concerning. Social media can act as an echo-chamber where people’s existing beliefs are reinforced. It’s really important that regulators continue to find ways to ensure that content shared online is accurate.”

For more information: 

• This text is based on the press release published by the City Press Office and The Alan Turing Institute
• Falkenberg, M., Galeazzi, A., Torricelli, M. et al. Growing polarization around climate change on social media. Nat. Clim. Chang. 12, 1114–1121 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01527-x
• Climate polarization is increasing on Twitter. Nat. Clim. Chang. 12, 1094–1095 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01533-z