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.
It seems to be factcheck season! Here's our latest on claims that 2026 is a quiet year for wildfires in Europe ⬇️
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 6d agoNEW – Factcheck: No, Europe is not having its ‘quietest’ year for wildfires ✍️ @giulianaviglione.bsky.social and @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org 💬 With comments from @calxcunningham.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/pDQGTR3
ICYMI… Last week, the Daily Telegraph and others claimed that extreme European heatwaves had been "caused" by a fall in air pollution. Scientists told @carbonbrief.org why this is "wrong" and how it was a "misleading" framing of the underlying research. ⬇️
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2w agoNEW – Factcheck: No, Europe’s heatwaves are not being ‘caused’ by declining air pollution ✍️ written by @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org 💬 with comments from Bjorn Samset, @erichfischer.bsky.social and Pedro Roldan-Gomez Read here ➡️ buff.ly/ukIO2fI
NEW – Factcheck: No, Europe’s heatwaves are not being ‘caused’ by declining air pollution ✍️ written by @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org 💬 with comments from Bjorn Samset, @erichfischer.bsky.social and Pedro Roldan-Gomez Read here ➡️ buff.ly/ukIO2fI
Factcheck: No, Europe’s heatwaves are not being ‘caused’ by declining air pollution - Carbon Brief
Scientists tell Carbon Brief that the framing of heatwaves being “caused” by declining air pollution is “wrong”.
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We've just published this... and then had to update it immediately as the UK's June temperature record has been broken AGAIN.
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · last mo.Media reaction: How climate change intensified Europe’s record-breaking June heat ✍️ Written by @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @giulianaviglione.bsky.social @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org and @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social Read here ➡️ buff.ly/cySkDf0
Seems to be a lot of selective memory in UK's right-wing newspapers about schools not closing during the 1976 heatwave. I just checked and, yes, many schools did close early as well as allow parents to "keep their children at home if they wish". This clipping from London Evening News, 29 June 1976
After 18 months of R&D with a team of specialist academics, I'm VERY excited to say that @carbonbrief.org has just launched 'Project Cosmos'... ...the world's largest database of climate research Our hope is this becomes a major new resource interactive.carbonbrief.org/cosmos/index...
Project Cosmos – the world’s largest database of climate change research
interactive.carbonbrief.org
Sign up now! Carbon Brief is launching “Cited”, a new fortnightly newsletter all about climate research. Cited will capture the latest papers, preprints and media coverage. Most importantly, it’s entirely free. The first edition is coming TOMORROW! bit.ly/4dVGEbz
NEW – Factcheck: Trump’s false claims about the IPCC and ‘RCP8.5’ climate scenario | @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @hausfath.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/727LWJo
Spiralling global temperatures (1850-2026) It is exactly 10 years since I first put this animated graphic of changes in global temperature online. #ClimateSpiral It instantly went viral. People watched it over and over again. It still offers the power to shock a decade on.
I’m at #EGU26 all this week for @carbonbrief.org. Do stop me and say hi – especially if you’ve got some interesting research coming!
This @carbonbrief.org explainer on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is very good. Useful for experts and novices alike. Kudos to @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org, @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org and @kerryanncleaver.bsky.social. interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explain...
AMOC: Is global warming tipping key Atlantic ocean currents towards ‘collapse’?
The AMOC is under threat from human-caused climate change, as warming seas, melting ice and increased rainfall upset the temperature and salt balance of the North Atlantic.
interactive.carbonbrief.org
There's a terrific new article by @carbonbrief.org on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation with some great animations. Strongly recommended. I've been reading it ahead of giving a lecture on the risks of climate change tomorrow. interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explain...
AMOC: Is global warming tipping key Atlantic ocean currents towards ‘collapse’?
The AMOC is under threat from human-caused climate change, as warming seas, melting ice and increased rainfall upset the temperature and salt balance of the North Atlantic.
interactive.carbonbrief.org
So much effort has gone into this article – both in terms of the words and the visualisations. It's great to have this out in the world – well done, Cecilia, Tom and Kerry! 👏 Please do read and share ⬇️
Cecilia Keating@ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org · 3mo agoNEW: How is climate change impacting the AMOC, the Atlantic currents that help keep Europe warm? @carbonbrief.org’s new in-depth explainer covers: 🌊 How the AMOC is impacted by warming 🌎 What research says about AMOC collapse 🗞️ How the media covers AMOC Read more here: tinyurl.com/5caxbw5a
A HUGE, narrative-breaking moment for the UK car market New EVs are now cheaper than petrol cars on average, says Autotrader Last yr CCC said price parity was due by 2028 – and it's already here And EVs are already MUCH cheaper to run than petrol
NEW – ‘Very alarming’ winter sees Arctic sea ice hit record-low for second year running | @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org w/ comment from @zacklabe.com Read here: buff.ly/Vu1TaIF
NEW - Carbon Brief's mega-analysis of China's new five-year plan just dropped! We dig into what the plan means for carbon emissions, renewable energy, cleantech competition, critical minerals & more To find out everything you need to know about the new policy, click the link in the comments ⬇️
NEW – Pace of global warming has nearly doubled since 2015, study says ✍️ @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org Read here ⬇️
Pace of global warming has nearly doubled since 2015, study says - Carbon Brief
An acceleration in human-caused global warming could see the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C limit breached before...
carbonbrief.org
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...
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...
Prof Ben Santer: Trump administration is ‘embracing ignorance’ on climate science - Carbon Brief
In an interview with Carbon Brief, Santer says the Trump administration is “engaged in a systematic attempt to dismantle climate science”
carbonbrief.org
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...
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.
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 7mo agoNEW – Prof Ben Santer: Trump administration is ‘embracing ignorance’ on climate science | @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Read here:
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."
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 7mo agoNEW – Prof Ben Santer: Trump administration is ‘embracing ignorance’ on climate science | @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Read here:
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
Simon Evans@drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 7mo agoTruly wild that the Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express & Daily Telegraph all covered false claims that net-zero will "cost" £7.6bn – or even £9tn – which assumes we could have free gas, free petrol, free petrol cars & free gas power plants if we scrapped net-zero More here: bsky.app/profile/drsi...
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
A fantastic effort from the @carbonbrief.org team pulling this together. A great resource summarising major outcomes and process at COP30. A must read 👇👇👇 And just a day after the gavel came down. Impressive. I bet next year, they'll beat the COP closing plenary :)
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 8mo agoNEW – COP30: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Belém Read here ➡️ buff.ly/3isyGpX #COP30
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 Belém (Caveat: these are provisional figures) Also also: most "virtual" delegates ever #COP30
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 9mo agoNEW – Analysis: Which countries have sent the most delegates to COP30? | @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Ho Woo Nam Read here: buff.ly/I5pUBHu
NEW – Ongoing failure to agree AR7 timeline is ‘unprecedented’ in IPCC history | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Read here: buff.ly/rSMdzNf
Ongoing failure to agree AR7 timeline is ‘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)
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NEW – Experts: The key ‘unknowns’ of overshooting the 1.5C global-warming limit | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org and @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Read here: buff.ly/yPWMH59
Experts: The key ‘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 “unknowns” around overshoot.
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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...!)
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 10mo agoNEW – Overshoot: Exploring the implications of meeting 1.5C climate goal ‘from above’ | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org and @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org Read here: buff.ly/HWteg9K
