New Brunswick research on what the public took away from the historic climate conference.
Wall-to-Wall News Coverage
That COP26 attracted media attention comes as no surprise, but Brunswick analysis revealed the extent to which the climate conference increased coverage not only about climate change, but also a host of related subjects: deforestation, global warming, renewable energy, net zero. Our analysis of media coverage in the UK (see right) revealed a pattern that was repeated across other countries, including the US and India—themes that offer clues about where expectations are likely to intensify in 2022.
Twitter saw a similar spike on climate-related content. One group we tracked on the platform during COP26 were politicians in the US, UK and Europe. Unsurprisingly, the Twitter reaction was strongest among politicians in the UK, where the event took place—420 UK MPs collectively posted around 5,000 tweets during the conference. Businesses were mentioned in only a small number of political tweets, with some praising corporate efforts and others singling out businesses—most often oil and gas—for criticism.
Notably, both news coverage and social media focused not only on the conference but also events around it. Climate-focused protests attracted a significant amount of column inches, while unofficial voices such as Greta Thunberg made a significant media impact.