Charles Bird (Methane Science Accord) against the New Zealand Herald

The New Zealand Herald published an article on November 19, 2025 titled Climate Derangement and the Cop cop-out.

This was an opinion piece in which the writer expressed his frustration with the lack of serious commitment to addressing the issue of global warming as delegates from around the world were preparing to meet at the Cop30 conference in Brazil.

Mr Bird complained that the article was written by a climate change alarmist and the claim that there was a climate crisis was debateable. The NZ Herald had not provided balance coverage on this subject over a long time.

“I do not expect the Herald to allow a rebuttal after every article by an alarmist, but at least some from a farmer’s group. If you check out the Methane Science Accord, you will see that many of the farmers have science degrees.

“It is sad that the only way we can get some balance on climate change is on The Platform. It would be great if the Herald would get an expert or a politician to debate with real experts like Dr Happer or Dr Judith Curry on Zoom. That would be hard to achieve, as alarmists will not debate. They tend to resort to name-calling with labels like denier.”

The NZ Herald responded:

“This is not the first time you have complained about the Herald's coverage of climate change. Your complaint last month is similar to one you made in 2023, and then again in 2024 when you were concerned about the idea of a "climate emergency". The Media Council ruled there were no grounds to proceed in the 2024 case. (Ruling 3488)

“To respond to some of the descriptions in your letter, the Herald rejects that our coverage of climate change is alarmist or amounts to hysteria. We are firmly of the view that it is fair and balanced.

“The Herald's editorial stance is that the climate is changing, that human activity is contributing to the change and that this is a problem that needs to be solved - and quickly.

“This is an uncontroversial position. Here is one of the UN's many statements on the immediacy of the situation: Climate change is already affecting every region on Earth. Changes in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, a warming ocean, and more frequent and intense extreme weather events are just some of the changes already impacting millions of people. Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. Some of us are more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living in small island developing countries. Threats like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate. In the future, the number of people displaced by climate change is expected to rise. The changes in the climate are widespread, rapid and intensifying, and some of these changes, such as sea level rise or melting ice sheets, are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.”

The Media Council refers to its ruling on Mr Bird’s 2024 complaint which stated: This was an opinion piece and there was no requirement for the NZ Herald to run comment countering the now widely stated view, which is adopted by governments, reputable scientific bodies and many publications - that human activity is contributing to climate change.

It is not the Media Council’s role to take a definitive position on climate change and its causes, and it welcomes articles that challenge assumptions, but it does not interfere with editorial discretion on this topic. There are no proven factual inaccuracies. Furthermore, counterarguments have been reported over the many years this subject has been debated.

The Council notes there has also been widespread reportage of the position taken by US President Donald Trump and his Government which has rejected the notion of climate change and reversed policies aimed at reducing emissions.

The Council also refers to the preamble to its Principles which states publications have the right to adopt a forthright stance or to advocate on any issue.

Decision:  No grounds to proceed.