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RIGHT BIAS

History

The European Institute for Climate and Energy (EIKE), founded in 2007, is a German think tank that promotes skepticism about the scientific consensus on human-driven climate change. EKIE is well known for opposing renewable energy initiatives and actively challenging environmental policies. The organization promotes views that minimize the impact of human activity on global warming. EIKE has drawn attention for its political connections, mainly through its vice president, Michael Limburg, who has ties to Germany’s far-right AfD party and has influenced the party’s climate and energy stance.

Read our profile on Germany’s media and government

Funded by / Ownership

EIKE is funded through voluntary contributions from its members and donations from supporters. In February 2022, EIKE’s charitable status was revoked by the Jena tax office. According to their website, the tax authority no longer certifies EIKE as serving solely and directly charitable purposes, similar to American 501(c) organizations. Therefore, EIKE is currently not recognized as a non-profit organization. Dr. Holger Thuß, a publisher from Jena, serves as EIKE’s president.

Analysis / Bias

The European Institute for Climate and Energy (EIKE) produces content that fosters climate skepticism and frequently challenges the scientific consensus on global warming. For instance, in the article “Neue Studie: Eisverlust in der Antarktis in den 1970er-Jahren und heute ist ‘nicht außergewöhnlich’ und nicht auf ‘Klimawandel’ zurückzuführen,” EIKE references a study by MacKie et al. to claim that recent Antarctic ice loss is not exceptional and cannot be attributed to climate change. However, the original study “47 Years of Large Antarctic Calving Events: Insights From Extreme Value Theory” focuses specifically on the size of large calving events and does not address other factors contributing to Antarctic ice mass loss, such as basal melting or the cumulative effect of smaller calving events. Therefore, while the study provides valuable insights into calving events, It does not capture the full complexity of Antarctic ice behavior or the factors affected by climate change.

Further, EIKE’s stance contrasts with reports from organizations like the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Columbia University, which attribute significant Antarctic ice loss to human-induced climate change. This stance is further reinforced by its political affiliations, particularly through the organization’s vice president, Michael Limburg, who has a notable affiliation with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Germany. He is an AfD member and has been involved in shaping the party’s climate and energy policies. Limburg also ran unsuccessfully on the Brandenburg state list for the AfD during the 2017 federal elections. He also has served as an advisor in the office of AfD Bundestag member Karsten Hilse, known for his climate change denial stance.

Failed Fact Checks

• Our results clearly demonstrate CO2 is a very weak green house gas and cannot be brought into connection with the anthropogenic climate change. – False

Overall, we rate EIKE as Right Biased due to its consistent promotion of climate skepticism and opposition to renewable energy policies. Its reporting is rated as Mixed for its selective use of scientific data, the promotion of pseudoscience, and a failed fact check. (M. Huitsing 01/07/2025)

Source: https://eike-klima-energie.eu/

Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check

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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources