BIAS in climate science: Proven conflicts of interest lead to wake-up call for transparency and rigor
02/19/2025 / By Willow Tohi
A study by Jessica Weinkle and colleagues reveals significant conflicts of interest (COI) and a lack of transparency in climate research, particularly in studies on the relationship between climate change and hurricanes.
The study found a strong correlation between research funded by environmental NGOs and studies that report a positive association between climate change and hurricanes, raising concerns about bias in funding.
Not a single author out of 331 disclosed any conflicts of interest, contrasting sharply with other scientific fields where COI disclosure rates range from 17% to 33%.
The findings suggest that climate research with undisclosed COIs is influencing public policies, including carbon taxes, legal frameworks and insurance premiums, potentially leading to flawed decision-making.
The study calls for mandatory COI disclosures, independent audits and a centralized COI database in climate science to ensure transparency and maintain public trust.
In an era where climate science has become increasingly intertwined with policy, finance and public opinion, a new preprint study by Jessica Weinkle and colleagues is sounding the alarm on a critical issue that has long been ignored: conflicts of interest (COI) in climate research. The study, titled “Conflicts of Interest, Funding Support and Author Affiliation in Peer-Reviewed Research on the Relationship between Climate Change and Geophysical Characteristics of Hurricanes,” reveals a distressing lack of transparency and potential bias in the field. This finding is particularly troubling given the significant influence of climate research on regulatory frameworks, financial markets and insurance policies.
https://www.climate.news/2025-02-19-climate-science-riddled-bias-conflicts-of-interest.html
