First posted on Twitter on 9 November 2022

Lord David Frost has joined the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) as a trustee during the UN COP27 climate summit.

Frost claims the GWPF gives an “objective view” of climate change. In fact, it is a climate science denial group with a pro-fossil fuel agenda. Here’s the evidence:

Lord Frost was welcomed to GWPF by founder and honourary president Lord Nigel Lawson. During last year’s climate conference COP26 in Glasgow, Lawson declared that “global warming is not a problem”. He also defended fossil fuels, and falsely claimed CO2’s “principal effect” is the growth of plants.

Despite Lord Frost’s claim the GWPF provides an “objective view” on climate, the group actively promotes climate science denial. In September alone it published two reports rejecting climate science on the greenhouse effect.

(See the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for reliable information on global warming)

Contrary to Lord Frost’s claims of objectivity, GWPF’s campaigning arm Net Zero Watch is urging the government to “recommit to fossil fuels” in response to the energy crisis. Its statement in October called for “a new fleet of coal fired power stations”, plus more oil and gas including by fracking.

The Charity Commission is currently reviewing a complaint that calls for the GWPF to be stripped of its charitable status for political campaigning.

The think tank has received funding from the Sarah Scaife Foundation, which has $30 million worth of shares in energy companies including Exxon and Chevron, and the DonorsTrust, which has been used to channel funding from the Koch family.

The GWPF has also been actively working with MPs in the Net Zero Scrutiny Group to oppose net zero policies and support fossil fuel extraction. Lord Frost has been involved, signing GWPF-linked joint letters calling for the UK’s fracking ban to be lifted.

Lord Frost has been treated by The Telegraph and others as a mainstream voice on climate and energy policy. Now that Frost is a trustee at GWPF (see the GWPF’s DeSmog database profile for more), we hope this thread helps inform his media role in future.

This blog is part of our DeBunk pilot project. You can read more about the project here.