Nature Retracts Climate Study Over Data Errors

Does this retraction show proper scientific self-correction, or activism emphasizing alarm over rigor?

Published DEC 5

Nature Retracts Climate Study Over Data Errors

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Above: A flooded area of Haqu Wala village in Kasur district, Pakistan, on Aug. 24, 2025. Image credit: Arif Ali/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Nature's retraction of a flawed climate study demonstrates the scientific process working exactly as intended. The core findings remain valid and substantial — climate damages will still cost trillions annually by midcentury and overwhelmingly harm poorer regions with minimal historical emissions. Data corrections reduced projections modestly from 19% to 17% income loss, but the fundamental conclusion stands unchallenged.

The New York Times EuroNews

Climate-skeptic narrative

This retraction exposes how climate science has crossed from scholarship into activism, inflating catastrophic predictions to drive policy. The paper's damage estimates were tripled by data errors, yet it became the second most cited climate study and shaped global financial regulations. When researchers prioritize producing alarming numbers over rigorous analysis, public trust erodes and costly policies get built on fundamentally flawed foundations.

The Free Press

The Honest Broker on Substack

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 50% chance that the total damage incurred by climate change in the 21st century, as measured by its impact on GDP, will be at least 16.5%, according to the Metaculus prediction community.