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Robert McSweeney

@rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org

Senior Science Editor at Carbon Brief, with a fondness for baking and Arsenal FC. All opinions are my own, however dull they might be.

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Latest posts by Robert McSweeney @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org

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This past winter was the 8th wettest on record for England, according to provisional stats from the @metoffice.gov.uk

It was the wettest winter on record for three counties: West Midlands, Cornwall and Leicestershire

www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

02.03.2026 15:35 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Prof Ben Santer: Trump administration is β€˜embracing ignorance’ on climate science - Carbon Brief In an interview with Carbon Brief, Santer says the Trump administration is β€œengaged in a systematic attempt to dismantle climate science”

Well worth watching this interview from January of UEA's Ben Santer by @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org for @carbonbrief.org. Heartfelt and moving, while also informative about Ben's views on climate action and climate science in the current geopolitical circumstances.
www.carbonbrief.org/prof-ben-san...

25.02.2026 14:52 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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HUGE moment for the EU car market as battery EVs overtake petrol cars for the first time ever

But there's no "natural" demand for EVs amirite?

Article by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org

www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...

27.01.2026 14:46 πŸ‘ 458 πŸ” 165 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 15

Important and timely wide-ranging interview with one of the world's most influential climate scientists.

Some of what he tells @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org is, frankly, breathtaking.

A call to action for all scientists, not just those focused on climate change.

15.01.2026 17:16 πŸ‘ 39 πŸ” 28 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2

For such a softly spoken guy, Ben doesn't hold back on the Trump administration:

"Insane. That’s the only word for it. Removing our ability to measure and monitor how the world around us is changing, makes no sense whatsoever."

15.01.2026 16:44 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Here's our annual look at the most talked-about climate research of the previous year:

13.01.2026 19:57 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Outrageous bare-faced lies - it’s extraordinary what the right wing press can get away with.
Thank you @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org for such a thorough debunking

13.01.2026 10:46 πŸ‘ 183 πŸ” 78 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 0
President Donald Trump walks off the stage after speaking at a campaign event on 18 June 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Phelps / Alamy Stock Photo

President Donald Trump walks off the stage after speaking at a campaign event on 18 June 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Phelps / Alamy Stock Photo

NEW – Q&A: What Trump’s US exit from UNFCCC and IPCC could mean for climate action | @daisydunne.carbonbrief.org @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org @orladwyer.carbonbrief.org @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/Mkjsh61

09.01.2026 15:22 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 4

A fantastic effort from the @carbonbrief.org team pulling this together.
A great resource summarising major outcomes and process at COP30. A must read πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡

And just a day after the gavel came down. Impressive. I bet next year, they'll beat the COP closing plenary :)

23.11.2025 19:25 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Here's our annual analysis of who is going to COP:

Top story: no US delegation for the first time in COP history

Also: ~56,000 people registered, so no big drop-off despite accommodation issues in BelΓ©m

(Caveat: these are provisional figures)

Also also: most "virtual" delegates ever

#COP30

11.11.2025 14:16 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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Ongoing failure to agree AR7 timeline is β€˜unprecedented’ in IPCC history - Carbon Brief Governments have, once again, failed to agree on a timeline for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) seventh assessment cycle (AR7)

NEW – Ongoing failure to agree AR7 timeline is β€˜unprecedented’ in IPCC history | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/rSMdzNf

07.11.2025 10:46 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3

Hi! Yes, we’ll be updating it annually (it’s quite a big job!) Aiming for January.

25.10.2025 07:13 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Experts: The key β€˜unknowns’ of overshooting the 1.5C global-warming limit - Carbon Brief On the sidelines of a conference, Carbon Brief asked a range of experts what they consider to be the key β€œunknowns” around overshoot.

NEW – Experts: The key β€˜unknowns’ of overshooting the 1.5C global-warming limit | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org and @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/yPWMH59

08.10.2025 14:29 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

Last week, @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org and I attended the first-ever conference on climate "overshoot" in Vienna.

Here's our summary of the wide-ranging discussions. (Bearing in mind we were two journalists covering 8 conference themes...!)

08.10.2025 15:58 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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FACTCHECK: Claire Coutinho claims UK gas power only costs Β£55/MWh…

…but she is ignoring a few small details:

🀫 Gas prices always rise in winter
🀫 Gas plants cost money to build
🀫 CO2 causes economic damages

THREAD with receipts

1/8

08.10.2025 15:26 πŸ‘ 60 πŸ” 39 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 2
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Yet more embarrassment for the Times, which has printed a ludicrous – and almost certainly false – line about windfarms being β€œdismantled” near Trump’s Scottish golf course

But why pick up the phone, as I did, when you can print nudge-nudge rumours instead?

1/

19.09.2025 13:36 πŸ‘ 106 πŸ” 49 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 7
SharedIt | Springer Nature | For Researchers | Springer Nature

Hi, just to confirm: there was no β€œdeal”. We were just informed by Springer (back in 2016!) that we – along with about 200 other outlets – had been added to their β€œSharedIt” whitelist.

More info here: www.springernature.com/gp/researche...

19.09.2025 15:12 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Really interesting guest post from @markengland.bsky.social unpacking why Arctic sea ice loss has slowed and how "climate models clearly show that such periods are expected parts of climate variability" ⬇️

19.08.2025 10:10 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims

Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims

NEW – Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @leohickman.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw

14.08.2025 15:48 πŸ‘ 233 πŸ” 134 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 18
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Media reaction: The 2025 Texas floods and the role of climate change - Carbon Brief At least 120 people have died after a devastating flash flood swept through homes and...

NEW – Media reaction: The 2025 Texas floods and the role of climate change

✍️ @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org

Read here ⬇️
www.carbonbrief.org/media-reacti...

10.07.2025 16:30 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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MEDIA STUDIES: How the Times bungled its coverage of the OBR report on climate change & UK govt debt

Yesterday's newspaper reported a major shift: "The OBR now thinks…net-zero will have a far more damaging impact on borrowing…"

In fact, the OBR had said the opposite!
1/6

10.07.2025 09:28 πŸ‘ 215 πŸ” 133 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 15
Aerial view of illegal Amazon deforestation. Credit: Paralaxis / Alamy Stock Photo

Aerial view of illegal Amazon deforestation. Credit: Paralaxis / Alamy Stock Photo

NEW – Experts: Which climate tipping point is the most concerning? | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/LkitgK7

09.07.2025 16:26 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 5

Thanks. It did come up frequently throughout the conference, but there weren’t sessions dedicated to it (as far as I recall). We do touch on it a bit in the final section, but there was a lot to cover!

08.07.2025 19:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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NEW: Getting to net-zero will be much cheaper than thought for the UK – and unchecked global warming far more costly, says OBR

Quick piece / thread with 4 key charts showing, yet again, why climate action is far less costly than inaction

🧡

www.carbonbrief.org/...
1/6

08.07.2025 16:38 πŸ‘ 251 πŸ” 167 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 15

Carbon Brief was in Exeter last week for the Global Tipping Points conference.

There was a lot packed in to the 4-day event and we've summarised some of the talks and talking points here ⬇️

08.07.2025 18:31 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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What’s happened this week in climate change?

DeBriefed | Trump β€˜megabill’ guts clean energy; Europe’s record heat; Scientists discuss β€˜most worrying’ tipping points

✍️ @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org

➑️ buff.ly/4G49jHj

04.07.2025 16:25 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Source: REPEAT Project, US nationally determined contribution.

Source: REPEAT Project, US nationally determined contribution.

NEW – Chart: Trump’s β€˜big beautiful bill’ blows US emissions goal by 7bn tonnes | @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social Ho Woo Nam

Read here: buff.ly/l700teP

04.07.2025 16:06 πŸ‘ 77 πŸ” 46 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 8

NEW

Nigel Topping chosen as new chair of @thecccuk.bsky.social, pending formalities

Will bring experience from business world & UN climate talks to the role

Follows years-long delay after former Tory minister Lord Deben quit as chair and @piersforster.bsky.social steered ship in interim capacity

04.07.2025 11:46 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

NASA scientists will apparently no longer be able to read @nature.com at their jobs, as the Trump administration has canceled all subscriptions to Springer Nature journals, per the agency. (1/3) 🧡

30.06.2025 22:47 πŸ‘ 162 πŸ” 86 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 6
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June was England's warmest on record and the UK's second warmest, according to the @metoffice.gov.uk

www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

01.07.2025 14:05 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3